When can a witness be impeached with specific bad acts?

A witness can be impeached with specific bad acts if those acts are probative of truthfulness. This principle is rooted in the idea that certain behaviors or actions can indicate a witness's reliability or honesty. For instance, if a witness has a history of deceitful behavior, that history may be relevant in questioning their credibility regarding the testimony they provide in court.

The focus on whether the acts are probative of truthfulness means that the court is concerned with the relevance of the specific behavior to the issue of honesty or reliability, rather than simply the nature of the acts themselves. Allowing impeachment based on relevant bad acts serves to enhance the truth-finding function of the trial by ensuring that jurors can consider factors that might affect the credibility of a witness's testimony.

The other options do not address the central requirement that the acts must be relevant to the witness's truthfulness. Impeachment based solely on the occurrence of the acts before the trial, the notoriety of the acts, or the agreement of the defense counsel does not meet the standard of demonstrating how those acts relate to a witness's credibility.