What is the Evidence Code 787?

Asked by: Prof. Omer Cartwright  |  Last update: March 26, 2026
Score: 4.8/5 (72 votes)

California Evidence Code 787 generally prohibits using evidence of a witness's specific past conduct to attack or support their credibility, unless it's relevant to character for honesty or veracity, and it's largely superseded in criminal cases by constitutional "Truth-in-Evidence" provisions (Proposition 8) allowing impeachment with morally turpitudinous acts, but still generally applies in civil cases. This code prevents using specific bad acts to show someone's generally untrustworthy, focusing impeachment on general character traits (like honesty) rather than isolated incidents.

What is the Evid Code 787?

California Code, Evidence Code - EVID § 787

Subject to Section 788, evidence of specific instances of his conduct relevant only as tending to prove a trait of his character is inadmissible to attack or support the credibility of a witness. Read this complete California Code, Evidence Code - EVID § 787 on Westlaw.

What is the Evidence Code 788?

788. For the purpose of attacking the credibility of a witness, it may be shown by the examination of the witness or by the record of the judgment that he has been convicted of a felony unless: (a) A pardon based on his innocence has been granted to the witness by the jurisdiction in which he was convicted.

What is the Evid Code 786?

California Code, Evidence Code - EVID § 786

Evidence of traits of his character other than honesty or veracity, or their opposites, is inadmissible to attack or support the credibility of a witness.

What is the insurance code 787 in California?

Any advertisement or other device designed to produce leads based on a response from a potential insured that is directed towards persons 65 years of age or older shall prominently disclose that an agent may contact the applicant if that is the fact.

IT’S Back!! But What was Actually WRONG With the B787?!

25 related questions found

What does code 787 mean?

Telephone numbers in Puerto Rico are assigned under the North American Numbering Plan (NANP). The NANP area codes for the island are 787 and 939.

What code is 787?

Area codes 787 and 939 are area codes for Puerto Rico. Area code 787 was created on March 1, 1996 as a split from 809, which initially served the entire Caribbean Islands. It was overlaid by 939 in 2001, since it was being used up fast due to the increasing demand for phone numbers.

Which type of evidence is not admissible?

Hearsay evidence

Hearsay evidence is information provided outside of a court setting to someone involved in the trial. In most cases, judges don't allow hearsay evidence because the attorney for an opposing law team doesn't have an opportunity to cross-examine the person who provided the information.

How to challenge someone's credibility?

The collateral fact rule prevents lawyers from introducing evidence solely to make someone look bad on unrelated issues. However, evidence showing prior inconsistent statements, bias, motives to lie, or problems with memory and perception can often be presented to challenge credibility.

Are witness statements strong evidence?

Testimonies from witnesses are significant evidence. They can provide clarity on what happened during a specific situation as well as give critical information to the court.

What is the Evidence Code 767?

Leading Questions: Per section 767, leading questions are those that suggest the answer or prompt a specific response. These questions usually call for a yes or no answer. They are typically not allowed during direct examination but are permitted during cross-examination and with hostile witnesses.

What is the Evidence Code 778?

California Code, Evidence Code - EVID § 778

After a witness has been excused from giving further testimony in the action, he cannot be recalled without leave of the court. Leave may be granted or withheld in the court's discretion.

What is the Evidence Code 1270?

California Code, Evidence Code - EVID § 1270

As used in this article, “a business” includes every kind of business, governmental activity, profession, occupation, calling, or operation of institutions, whether carried on for profit or not. Read this complete California Code, Evidence Code - EVID § 1270 on Westlaw.

What is the Evidence Code 789?

Evidence of his religious belief or lack thereof is inadmissible to attack or support the credibility of a witness.

What is the Evid Code 813?

California Code, Evidence Code - EVID § 813

(a) The value of property may be shown only by the opinions of any of the following: (1) Witnesses qualified to express such opinions. (2) The owner or the spouse of the owner of the property or property interest being valued.

What is the 1157.7 evidence code?

The prohibition relating to discovery or testimony provided in Section 1157 shall be applicable to proceedings and records of any committee established by a local governmental agency to monitor, evaluate, and report on the necessity, quality, and level of specialty health services, including, but not limited to, trauma ...

What evidence can discredit a witness?

There are essentially four methods to impeach using character evidence: defects in perception, defects in recollection, felony convictions and past misconduct. Defects in perception are based upon personal impressions of an occurrence. The witness should be examined on their opportunity and capacity to perceive.

On what two grounds can a case be appealed?

A case can generally be appealed on grounds of legal error, where the judge applied the wrong law, or improper factual findings, meaning the judge or jury reached a conclusion unreasonable based on the evidence, with other common reasons including prosecutorial misconduct, ineffective counsel, or due process violations, all requiring the error to have affected the outcome. 

What is the hardest thing to prove in court?

The hardest things to prove in court involve intent, causation (especially in medical cases where multiple factors exist), proving insanity, and overcoming the lack of physical evidence or uncooperative victims, often seen in sexual assault or domestic violence cases. Proving another person's mental state or linking a specific harm directly to negligence, rather than underlying conditions, requires strong expert testimony and overcoming common doubts. 

What evidence cannot be used in court?

Evidence not admissible in court typically includes illegally obtained evidence (violating the Fourth Amendment), hearsay (out-of-court statements used for their truth), irrelevant or speculative information, privileged communications (like psychotherapist-patient), and confessions obtained through coercion, with rules varying slightly by jurisdiction but generally focusing on reliability, legality, and relevance. 

Can screenshots of messages be used as evidence?

Yes, screenshots of messages can be used as evidence, but they are often considered weak or unreliable on their own because they can be easily edited, cropped, or taken out of context, making them difficult to authenticate; courts prefer original messages with complete metadata (dates, times, sender info) and often require extra proof, like testimony or forensic analysis, to confirm they are genuine. 

What are the 4 types of evidence?

The four main types of evidence, especially in legal and academic contexts, are Testimonial (spoken/written statements), Documentary (written records), Physical/Real (tangible items), and Demonstrative (visual aids like charts/diagrams). Other categorizations exist, like evidence for arguments (anecdotal, descriptive, correlational, causal) or textual evidence (quoting, paraphrasing).
 

What does dialing 787 do?

The Puerto Rico country code 1-787, 1-939 will allow you to call Puerto Rico from another country. Puerto Rico telephone code 1-787, 1-939 is dialed after the IDD. Puerto Rico international dialing 1-787, 1-939 is followed by an area code.

What are common calling code mistakes?

Common calling code mistakes involve forgetting the + or international exit code, misusing trunk prefixes (like 00 or 011) instead of the +, confusing country codes with area codes, dropping leading zeros in domestic numbers when calling internationally, dialing at inconvenient times due to time zones, and failing to check calling plans, leading to high costs. 

What is the 747 code?

About California

Area code 747 is used in the San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles County, California, to identify a specific geographic area for telephone services. If you have a phone number with this area code, you will need to include it when dialing both within and outside the region.