§ 22.13 Religious Belief: FRE 610

• Jurisdiction: North Carolina

§ 22.13 Religious Belief: FRE 610

Rule 610 provides that the "nature" of a witness's religious beliefs or opinions is not admissible either to impeach or support the witness's credibility. It is based on several premises: that religious beliefs or lack of such beliefs are simply not relevant to the issue of credibility, that such evidence may present issues of unfair prejudice and consumption of time, and that inquiry into religious beliefs infringes upon a witness's right to freedom of religion and privacy.

Rule 610 does not prohibit the introduction of evidence of religious affiliation under a different theory of impeachment—for example, for showing bias.²⁰¹

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Notes:

^[201] Fed. R. Evid. 610 advisory committee's note ("While the rule forecloses inquiry into the religious beliefs or...