Michigan Compiled Laws

Mich. Comp. Laws § 600.2158 (2026)

Crime; interest or relationship of witness, effect.

✓ current as of July 2026
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REVISED JUDICATURE ACT OF 1961


Act 236 of 1961


600.2158 Crime; interest or relationship of witness, effect.

Sec. 2158.

    No person shall be excluded from giving evidence on any matter, civil or criminal, by reason of crime or for any interest of such person in the matter, suit, or proceeding in question, or in the event of such matter, suit or proceeding, in which such testimony may be offered, or by reason of marital or other relationship to any party thereto; but such interest, relationship, or conviction of crime, may be shown for the purpose of drawing in question the credibility of such witness, except as is hereinafter provided.

History: 1961, Act 236, Eff. Jan. 1, 1963

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 85 cases, 1963–2016 · leading case: Kirby v. Larson, 256 N.W.2d 400 (Mich. 1977).
Kirby v. Larson, 256 N.W.2d 400 (Mich. 1977). · cites it 4× “See also MCLA 600.2158; MSA 27A.2158; [11] Sting v Davis, 384 Mich 608 ; 185 NW2d 360 (1971).”
People v. Jackson, 217 N.W.2d 22 (Mich. 1974). · cites it 4× “Similarly, appellate courts will be in a better position to determine if a defendant has received a fair trial if they can review the full scope of the evidence and are able to assume that the jury did not use his prior record as a basis for conviction. A decisional rule barring…”
People v. Bouchee, 253 N.W.2d 626 (Mich. 1977). · cites it 4× “, MCLA 600.2158; MSA 27A.2158 (no disqualification of witness from testifying due to interest in the outcome, relationship of witness to party or conviction of a crime); MCLA 600.”
Perin v. Peuler, 130 N.W.2d 4 (Mich. 1964). · cites it 4× “No matter the nature of the "civil action," and no matter the nature of the motor vehicular criminal record of the party or witness on the stand, that party or witness cannot — if section 731 is left to stand — be impeached or tested for credibility upon such criminal record.”
People v. Garth, 287 N.W.2d 216 (Mich. Ct. App. 1979). · cites it 4× “2159 and MCL 600.2158; MSA 27A.2158 for the statutory authority condoning impeachment of witnesses' credibility by evidence of a prior conviction.”
Sting v. Davis, 185 N.W.2d 360 (Mich. 1971). · cites it 6× “[*] MCLA §§ 600.2158, 600.2159 (Stat Ann 1962 Rev §§ 27A.”
Kar v. Hogan, 251 N.W.2d 77 (Mich. 1976). · cites it 2× “[23] See 25 Am Jur 2d, supra, § 46, p 406; 13 Williston, supra, § 1625, p 778; 2 Black, supra, § 244, p 693. [24] The rule is well-established that a trier of fact is not obliged to believe a witness simply because his testimony "was not contradicted by another witness.”
People v. Hall, 172 N.W.2d 473 (Mich. Ct. App. 1969). · cites it 4× “" MCLA § 600.2158 (Stat Ann 1962 Rev § 27A.”
People v. Renno, 219 N.W.2d 422 (Mich. 1974). · cites it 3× “The first, MCLA 600.2158; MSA 27A.2158 was originally enacted in 1861 as 1861 PA 125 .”
People v. Worden, 284 N.W.2d 159 (Mich. Ct. App. 1979). · cites it 2× “He now argues that the trial judge abused his discretion by deciding to admit evidence of his convictions for impeachment purposes, and that this abuse of discretion infringed upon his rights to testify and to present an affirmative defense.”
People v. Love, 391 N.W.2d 738 (Mich. 1986). · cites it 2× “[MCL 600.2158; MSA 27A.2158.] MRE 601 reflects the substance of this statute.”
People v. Falkner, 209 N.W.2d 193 (Mich. 1973). · cites it 2× “The present provision, MCLA 600.2158; MSA 27A.2158, is as follows: "No person shall be excluded from giving evidence on any matter, civil or criminal, by reason of crime or for any interest of such person in the matter, suit, or proceeding in question, or in the event of such…”
Annotations are extracted automatically from the opinions in the Syfert caselaw corpus and ranked by authority, recency, and treatment. Dots show Syfertize treatment of the citing case itself.