Court Opinion

ID: 9669913
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-24 03:10:50.85432+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:16:01.104740
License: Public Domain

On Rehearing
We adhere to our ruling as to the correctness of the trial court’s action permitting defendant’s character witness, Hudson *49Hamilton, to be asked on cross examination if he had not heard that defendant had been expelled from school because of his bad conduct, which ruling we are urged to reconsider.
Counsel further urges that once such evidence was admitted defendant should have been allowed to prove that he had not been expelled and that the trial court erred in sustaining the State’s objection to this question to defendant: “Robert Earl, have you ever been expelled from school ?”
The truth or the falsity of the rumors or reports testified to by the witness Hamilton is entirely immaterial to the issue. Maxwell v. State, 11 Ala.App. 53, 65 So. 732; Moulton v. State, 88 Ala. 116, 6 So. 758, 6 L.R.A. 301.
The general rule is that character, whether good or bad, can only be proved by general reputation, and not by particular acts or conduct. See Ala.Dig., Crim.Law, ^380 for numerous citations. This question to defendant was an attempt’ to prove his good character by testifying that he had not been expelled from school, and such evidence was not admissible.
Application overruled. Opinion extended.