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2 PJI 1 | IMPEACHMENT OF WITNESS’S CHARACTER FOR TRUTHFULNESS

You [are about to hear] [have heard] evidence that [name of witness], a witness, [e.g., has been convicted of a felony, committed forgery on a prior occasion, etc.]. You may use that evidence only to help you decide whether to believe the testimony of the witness and to determine how much weight to give it. That evidence does not mean that the witness engaged in any conduct alleged in this case, and you must not use that evidence as any proof that the witness engaged in that conduct.
COMMENT This instruction is derived from Eighth Circuit 2.09 and former Ninth Circuit 3.12. Cf. Ninth Circuit 2.8. For variations, see Fifth Circuit 2.17 (covering prior convictions only).

The bracketed alternative allows this instruction to be given not only at the time of testimony but also at the close of the evidence. The instruction is intended to cover the admission of bad acts and convictions under Federal Rules of Evidence 608 and 609.
(Last Updated October 2017)