EvidenceProf Blog
Evidence of the beliefs or opinions of a witness on matters of religion is not admissible for the purpose of showing that by reason of their nature the witness s credibility is impaired or enhanced.
So, for instance, an attorney couldn t ask whether a witness is a devout Catholic to enhance her credibility. On the other side of the coin, an attorney couldn t ask whether a witness is an atheist to impair her credibility. But what about questions regarding whether a defendant had a come to Jesus moment after committing the crime charged? That was the question addressed by the Court of Criminal Appeals of Tennessee in its recent opinion in