                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA

WITNESS PROVING ADVERSE; CONTRADICTION; PRIOR INCONSISTENT STATEMENT (SUBSECTION
(C) OF SUPREME COURT RULE 2:607 AND SUBDIVISION (A)(I) OF SUPREME COURT RULE
2:613 DERIVED FROM THIS SECTION) (§ 8.01-403)

A party producing a witness shall not be allowed to impeach his credit by
general evidence of bad character, but he may, in case the witness shall in the
opinion of the court prove adverse, by leave of the court, prove that he has
made at other times a statement inconsistent with his present testimony; but
before such last mentioned proof can be given the circumstances of the supposed
statement, sufficient to designate the particular occasion, must be mentioned to
the witness, and he must be asked whether or not he has made such statement. In
every such case the court, if requested by either party, shall instruct the jury
not to consider the evidence of such inconsistent statements, except for the
purpose of contradicting the witness.

HISTORY: Code 1950, § 8-292; 1977, c. 617.