Opinion ID: 198294
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Certificate of Good Conduct

Text: 65 Moises Candelaria-Silva argues that, under Fed.R.Evid. 405, the trial court should have admitted a certificate of good conduct. See Defendant's Br. at 23-30. The district court, describing the certificate as a negative criminal record certified by the Puerto Rico Police, excluded the document. We hold that the certificate of good conduct is not admissible character evidence. 66 In United States v. DeJongh, 937 F.2d 1 (1st Cir.1991), the district court declined to admit what this Court described as a Good Conduct Certificate. This Court upheld exclusion on the ground of insufficient authentication. 67 Furthermore, the certificate of good conduct does not satisfy Fed.R.Evid. 405, which allows proof of character: (1) by specific instances of conduct, id., on cross-examination or where character or a trait of character ... is an essential element of a charge, claim, or defense, id.; or (2) by testimony as to reputation or ... in the form of an opinion. Id. Here, Candelaria-Silva cannot allege that the proffered certificate of good conduct meets either of these requirements.