character evidence

Character evidence refers to information about a person's traits or behavior to suggest they are more likely to have committed a specific act. In court, it typically isn't allowed to prove someone is generally good or bad, or to suggest they acted a certain way in this case, unless specific exceptions apply. The purpose is to prevent bias, as judgments should be based on evidence about the specific incident, not assumptions about a person's character. However, some evidence about a person's character can be allowed if relevant, such as when character is directly in question, like in a defamation case.