"All such impeaching and sustaining character evidence must be carefully limited by the trial court to the question of the credibility of the defendant as a witness."
How later courts described this case
- "All such impeaching and sustaining character evidence must be carefully limited by the trial court to the question of the credibility of the defendant as a witness."
Written by the judges who cited it.
The opinion
MAYFIELD, J.
I concur, but wish to guard my concurrence against holding that the defendant’s general bad character after the offense can ever be inquired into for any purpose. His character for truth and veracity may be shown, up to the time of the trial; but the evidence must be limited to that sole purpose, and this cannot be done by showing his general bad character, after the offense, though the general bad character, as a rule, tends to impeach, or go to the credibility of a witness.