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91 Miss. L.J. 1 (2022-2023)

handle is hein.journals/mislj91 and id is 1 raw text is: NO HELP YOU GOD: RELIGION, THE COURTROOM, AND A PROPOSAL TO AMEND THE FEDERAL RULES OF EVIDENCE Antony Barone Kolenc* IN THE BEGINNING . .................................. 2 I. FIRST PROPOSITION: RELIGION IS WORTHY OF PROTECTION IN THE RULES ..............5...........5 II. SECOND PROPOSITION: THE RULES OFFER FEW PROTECTIONS FOR RELIGION ............8..........8 A. Proper Application of Rule 610 Provides Scant Protection. 8 1. Witness Competency, Impeachment, and the Adoption of Rule 610. .................................... 9 2. Rule 610 Applies Solely to Impeachment for Truthfulness ........................... 11 3. Demonstrating the Limited Protection Under Rule 610.......................................... 13 B. Rule 403 Provides Inconsistent Protection.. ........... 15 1. The Theory Underlying Rule 403....... ........... 16 2. Rule 403, Rule 610, and Religion-Related Evidence.. 17 III. THIRD PROPOSITION: THE RULES SHOULD BETTER PROTECT RELIGION-RELATED EVIDENCE ............... 19 A. Constitutional and Policy Considerations . ........... 20 1. Constitutional Values Underlying Religion-Related Evidentiary Rules ................... ........... 20 2. Other Policy-Related Protections in the Federal Rules of Evidence ............................ 22 3. The Problem of Defining Religion ... ............... 23 B. Illustrating the Need for a Stronger Rule to Limit Religion- Related Evidence.......................... 26 Antony Barone Kolenc (J.D., University of Florida College of Law) is an associate professor of law at University of North Texas Dallas College of Law. He served as a Lieutenant Colonel in the Air Force Judge Advocate General's Corps before retiring in 2012.