Which category is listed as a permissible basis for impeaching a witness's truthfulness in the provided material?

Which category is listed as a permissible basis for impeaching a witness's truthfulness in the provided material?

• A. Motive
• B. Bias
• C. Reputation
• D. Alibi

Answer: (A)

Motive is the idea that a witness may have a personal stake in the outcome, which can color their testimony and raise doubts about their truthfulness. If a witness stands to gain or lose something depending on the case, that stake provides a legitimate basis to question whether their statements are trustworthy. The material you’re studying lists motive as a permissible basis for impeaching a witness’s truthfulness, so it’s the best answer here because it directly targets credibility through potential bias or incentive to lie. An alibi relates to defending the defendant and does not attack the witness’s honesty. Reputation and bias are related concepts, but in this context the material specifically names motive as the allowable category, with bias often treated as a broader form of motive in other materials.

Motive is the idea that a witness may have a personal stake in the outcome, which can color their testimony and raise doubts about their truthfulness. If a witness stands to gain or lose something depending on the case, that stake provides a legitimate basis to question whether their statements are trustworthy. The material you’re studying lists motive as a permissible basis for impeaching a witness’s truthfulness, so it’s the best answer here because it directly targets credibility through potential bias or incentive to lie.

An alibi relates to defending the defendant and does not attack the witness’s honesty. Reputation and bias are related concepts, but in this context the material specifically names motive as the allowable category, with bias often treated as a broader form of motive in other materials.