What is "character evidence" primarily used for in a court of law?

Character evidence is primarily used in court to establish a person's character, especially in legal exceptions where such evidence is admissible. In certain situations, the law allows character evidence to demonstrate a propensity for specific behaviors, which can be relevant to the case at hand. This means that if a person's character traits are pertinent to the issue being litigated, such as in cases involving self-defense or character-based defenses, evidence of their previous conduct or general reputation can be introduced.

While proving a person's conduct on a particular occasion or determining the credibility of witnesses can involve character aspects, these uses don’t fully encompass the primary role of character evidence. Moreover, excluding evidence based on societal interests relates to broader evidentiary rules that seek to limit prejudicial or irrelevant information rather than focus specifically on character traits. Hence, the established legal exceptions where character evidence is admissible support the choice regarding its primary use.