Under New York law, which statement about character evidence is correct?

• A. A defendant may establish good character only by showing his general reputation in the community
• B. The opinions of people who know the defendant personally are admissible
• C. In a civil case, good character may be admitted before questioning
• D. Character evidence is admissible to prove conformity with conduct

Answer: (A)

In New York, when a defendant offers evidence of good character to support a claim of innocence, the admissible form is reputation about the defendant’s character in the community. This means witnesses may testify about the general view of the community regarding the defendant’s character, rather than giving personal opinions or specific acts. The idea is to rely on a broader, community-wide view of character rather than the subjective view of a single witness.

That’s why the statement about establishing good character only by showing general reputation in the community is the best answer: reputation evidence reflects the community’s perspective and is the proper vehicle for proving good character in this context. Personal opinions from people who know the defendant personally are not the standard method for proving good character here, and in civil cases, character is not automatically admissible before questioning unless a specific essential element is at issue. Also, character evidence is not generally admitted to prove conformity with conduct.