8.01-403 - Witness proving adverse; contradiction; prior inconsistent statement. - Virginia Statutes

§ 8.01-403. Witness proving adverse; contradiction; prior inconsistentstatement.

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

(Code 1950, § 8-292; 1977, c. 617.)