Case Title: Turner v. State

Citation: 

Docket Number: cr96-93

State: arkansas

Court: Arkansas Supreme Court

Date: 1996-07-01T00:00:00Z

Document:
Carl Stanley TURNER v. STATE of Arkansas

CR 96-93                                           ___ S.W.2d ___

                    Supreme Court of Arkansas
                 Opinion delivered July 1, 1996


1.   Evidence -- prior convictions -- trial court's discretion --
     admissibility decided on case-by-case basis. -- The State has
     a right to impeach the credibility of a witness with prior
     convictions under A.R.E. Rule 609; but the trial court has
     considerable discretion in determining whether the probative
     value of prior convictions outweighs their prejudicial effect,
     and that decision will not be reversed absent an abuse of
     discretion; the admissibility of the prior convictions must be
     decided on a case-by-case basis.

2.   Evidence -- prior convictions -- impeachment. -- Where the
     defendant chooses to testify, prior convictions may be used
     for impeachment even where those convictions are similar to
     the charge or charges before the trial court.

3.   Evidence -- prior convictions were extremely probative --
     trial court did not abuse discretion. -- Where the proof at
     trial of burglary and attempted rape came from the testimony
     of the victim and her mother; where there was no physical
     evidence introduced to link appellant to the crime; and where
     appellant denied his participation in the crime altogether,
     appellant's credibility was a central issue in the case;
     viewed in that light, his prior convictions were extremely
     probative; the supreme court held that the trial court did not
     abuse its discretion by allowing impeachment for the prior
     crimes of burglary and attempted sexual abuse.

4.   Evidence -- earlier case overruled for purposes of A.R.E. Rule
     609. -- The supreme court overruled Jones v. State, 274 Ark.
     379,