Opinion ID: 584174
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Impeachment of Government Witness

Text: 37 Before the district court discharged Ivan Sanders as a witness at trial, the Government provided appellants with a police report detailing Sanders's arrest on April 18, 1990 for outstanding traffic tickets. The Government moved in limine to exclude the police report, or any mention of Sanders's arrest, from trial. The district court granted the Government's motion. Appellants argue they should have been able to impeach Sanders with the police report. However, Sanders's arrest was for violations of municipal ordinances punishable by no more than six months in prison. Sanders's traffic violations did not involve dishonesty or false statements. Therefore, under Federal Rule of Evidence 609, Sanders's arrest was clearly inadmissible for purposes of impeachment. United States v. Nichols, 808 F.2d 660, 664 (8th Cir.), cert. denied, 481 U.S. 1038, 107 S.Ct. 1976, 95 L.Ed.2d 816 (1987).