Infamy

Infamy, in Law, was a stigma attaching to the character of a person so as to disqualify him from being a witness. It was distinguished into infamy of fact and infamy of law. Infamy of fact results from a depraved course of life and abandoned character, of law from the sentence of a court finding the person guilty of any crime to which the character of infamy attached. Since 1843 it has not been possible to exclude a witness on the ground of infamy, though questions as to character and as to crimes committed by a witness may be asked with a view of affecting his credibility.