Case Western Reserve University School of Law Scholarly Commons Faculty Publications 2001 Character Evidence Paul C. Giannelli Case Western University School of Law,
[email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarlycommons.law.case.edu/faculty_publications Part of the Evidence Commons, and the Litigation Commons Repository Citation Giannelli, Paul C., "Character Evidence" (2001). Faculty Publications. 209. https://scholarlycommons.law.case.edu/faculty_publications/209 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by Case Western Reserve University School of Law Scholarly Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Faculty Publications by an authorized administrator of Case Western Reserve University School of Law Scholarly Commons. kJ!CO S78 ,AilS" PBz I N .::.. I JrAt:J(I Vol. 23, No.1 January 2001 CHARACTER EVIDENCE Paul C. Giannelli Albert J. Weatherhead Ill & Richard W Weatherhead Professor of Law, Case Western Reserve University Ohio Rule 404(A) governs the circumstantial use of char ration, plan, knowledge, identity, or absence of mistake or acter evidence, i.e., the admissibility of evidence of a char accident This subject will be discussed in the next issue. acter trait to prove that a person acted in conformity with that trait on a particular occasion (character-as-proof-of POLICY PROHIBITING CHARACTER & conduct). OTHER-ACTS EVIDENCE This use of character is sometimes referred to as Although character evidence may be probative in some "propensity'' or "disposition" evidence. See State v. Curry, 43 cases, it is generally excluded because it "usually is laden Ohio St2d 66, 68, 330 N.E.2d 720 (1975) ("propensity or in with the dangerous baggage of prejudice, distraction, and clination to commit crime"); State v.