Case Name: PEOPLE v. SCOTT
Court: Michigan Court of Appeals
Jurisdiction: Michigan
Decision Date: 1975-10-13
Citations: 64 Mich. App. 740
Docket Number: Docket No. 19413
Parties: PEOPLE v SCOTT
Judges: Before: T. M. Burns, P. J., and Quinn and M. J. Kelly, JJ.
Reporter: Michigan appeals reports; cases decided in the Michigan Court of Appeals.
Volume: 64
Pages: 740–744

Head Matter:
PEOPLE v SCOTT
Opinion op the Court
1. Witnesses — Criminal Law — Impeachment—Appeal and Error.
A prosecutor is not permitted to question a criminal defendant on cross-examination about arrests that did not result in convictions; a court which permits such questioning commits reversible error.
Dissent by M. J. Kelly, J.
2. Witnesses — Criminal Law — Impeachment—Prosecutor’s Misstatements — Good Faith.
The rule that a prosecutor is not permitted to question a criminal defendant on cross-examination about arrests that did not result in convictions does not reach a prosecutor’s inadvertent misstatement of the nature of a conviction if, in fact, there is a conviction, and the misstatement was made in good faith.
3. Witnesses — Criminal Law — Arrests—Appeal and Error.
A court does not err by permitting a prosecutor to inquire into prior arrests on cross-examination of a defendant where defense counsel ñrst raised and pursued the line of questioning which brought out the prior arrests.
Reference for Points in Headnotes
[1-3] 58 Am Jur, Witnesses § 754 etseq.
Appeal from Wayne, Michael L. Stacey, J.
Submitted June 17, 1975, at Detroit.
(Docket No. 19413.)
Decided October 13, 1975.
Leave to appeal applied for and by order of the Supreme Court reversed and remanded to the Court of Appeals, 396 Mich —.
Milford L. Scott was convicted of second-degree murder. Defendant appeals.
Reversed and remanded.
Frank J. Kelley, Attorney General, Robert A. Derengoski, Solicitor General, William L. Cahalan, Prosecuting Attorney, Patricia J. Boyle, Principal Attorney, Research, Training and Appeals, and Michael R. Mueller, Assistant Prosecuting Attorney, for the people.
James R. Neuhard, State Appellate Defender (Arthur J. Tarnow, of counsel), for defendant.
Before: T. M. Burns, P. J., and Quinn and M. J. Kelly, JJ.

Opinion:
Quinn, J.
Defendant was charged with first-degree murder, MCLA 750.316; MSA 28.548. His jury trial resulted in his conviction of second-degree murder, MCLA 750.317; MSA 28.549. He was sentenced and he appeals on ten allegations of error.
One allegation of error is determinative of this appeal and obviates a recitation of the facts. During cross-examination of defendant, the prosecuting attorney was permitted to question defendant about arrests that did not result in convictions. This was reversible error, People v Falkner, 389 Mich 682; 209 NW2d 193 (1973).
In view of the foregoing, we choose not to discuss the remaining issues.
Reversed and remanded.
T. M. Burns, P. J., concurred.