In civil cases, how long after a conviction does a crime become inadmissible for attacking a witness's credibility?

In civil cases, a conviction becomes inadmissible for attacking a witness's credibility after ten years. This timeframe is based on the principle that as time passes, the relevance and impact of a past conviction diminish, allowing individuals an opportunity for rehabilitation and reintegration. The ten-year period is intended to ensure that individuals are not perpetually stigmatized by their pasts, particularly as they may have shown significant changes in behavior or circumstances since their conviction.

This standard helps to maintain the integrity of the judicial process by ensuring that only relevant and recent information is considered when assessing a witness's credibility. Therefore, after a decade, a conviction is typically seen as less reflective of a person's current character or reliability as a witness, which is crucial in civil litigation where witness credibility can significantly influence outcomes.