California, United States of America
The following excerpt is from People v. Henderson, 163 Cal.App.3d 1001, 209 Cal.Rptr. 883 (Cal. App. 1985):
"Except as otherwise provided by statute, the court or jury may consider in determining the credibility of a witness any matter that has any tendency in reason to prove or disprove the truthfulness of his [or her] testimony at the hearing, including but not limited to ... (h) [a] statement made by him [or her] that is inconsistent with any part of his [or her] testimony at the hearing." (Evid.Code, 780.) Evidence Code section 787, which states that "... evidence of specific instances of ... conduct relevant only as tending to prove a trait of ... character is inadmissible to attack or support the credibility of a witness," is not a bar to testimony elicited pursuant to Evidence Code section 780. (People v. Reyes (1976) 62 Cal.App.3d 53, 62, 132 Cal.Rptr. 848.)
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