During a criminal trial, the defense seeks to introduce evidence that the prosecution witness previously made a conflicting statement to impeach their credibility. The prosecution objects, arguing that the witness's prior statement is relevant to the truth of the matter asserted in the current case. Under the rules of evidence, how should the court handle the admission of the prior statement?
Exclude the prior statement as it is hearsay and irrelevant to the current case.
Admit the prior statement for impeaching the witness's credibility, but not for proving the truth of the matter asserted.
Admit the prior statement to both impeach the witness's credibility and to prove the truth of the matter asserted.
Admit the prior statement if the defense can demonstrate its reliability and relevance to the case.
The correct answer is to admit the prior statement for impeaching the witness's credibility, but not for proving the truth of the matter asserted. This demonstrates limited admissibility, where evidence is allowed for a specific purpose without allowing its full persuasive effect regarding the underlying facts.
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