In a criminal trial accused may offer a pertinent character trait of a victim to show the victim's conduct on a particular occasion; i.e., accused may use victim's character "circumstantially," as "circumstantial" evidence of victim's conduct on a specific occasion.

Fed. R. Evid. 807 ("A statement not specifically covered by Rule 803 or 804 but having equivalent circumstantial guarantees of trustworthiness, is not excluded by the hearsay rule, if the court determines that (A) the statement is offered as evidence of a material fact; (B) the statement is more probative on the point for which it is...A statement not specifically covered by Federal Rule of Evidence 803 or 804 or by comparable State rules, but having equivalent circumstantial guarantees of trustworthiness, is not excluded by the hearsay rule, if the court determines that (A) the statement is offered as evidence of a material fact; (B) the statement is more probative on the point for which it is offered than any other evidence which the proponent can procure through reasonable efforts; and (C) the general purposes of these rules and the interests of justice will best be served by admission of the statement into evidence.

Fed. R. Evid. 803.Statements that fall within an exception to the hearsay rule are admissible to prove the truth of the matter asserted by the declarant (the maker of the statement).

United States v. Scott, 270 F.3d 30, 48-50 (1st Cir. 2001) (upholding trial court's admission into evidence of IRS agent's testimony as to whether the handwriting on a number of documents was defendant's own because....A person's handwriting may be authenticated by a lay witness -- i.e., a lay witness may identify the author of handwriting -- if the witness is personally familiar with the putative author's handwriting and the witness did not acquire such familiarity for purposes of the litigation.