Opinion ID: 1404841
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Defendant Smith failed to lay a proper foundation for Spikes' character testimony about other witnesses.

Text: {68} Smith claims that his case was damaged when the trial court refused to allow Smith to question Spikes about her opinion of the prosecution witnesses' character for truthfulness. While Smith was entitled to inquire into the reputation of witnesses for truthfulness, he had to lay a foundation for doing so. He did not do this, and therefore, his claim has no merit. {69} The credibility of a witness may be attacked or supported by evidence in the form of opinion or reputation, but subject to these limitations: (1) the evidence may refer only to character for truthfulness or untruthfulness . . . . Rule 11-608 NMRA 1998. A proper foundation must be laid. Construction Contracting & Management, Inc. v. McConnell, 112 N.M. 371, 376, 815 P.2d 1161, 1166 (1991). Both Spikes and Lucero testified that they did not know each other well. O'Grady, rather than Spikes, testified subsequently that they were good friends. We conclude that Smith failed to lay a proper foundation for Spikes' opinion of Lucero's and O'Grady's veracity. Spikes did testify that Jimenes had been a close friend. Spikes' other testimony, however, sufficiently indicated her opinion of Jimenes' veracity. Spikes clearly believed Jimenes' testimony that contradicted her own was untrue. We conclude that if the trial court erred in denying Spikes' opinion of Jimenes' veracity, the error was harmless.