Opinion ID: 2094570
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Admissibility of Driving Record

Text: Frink next argues that the trial court erred in allowing introduction into evidence of his entire driving record in order to prove that his license was suspended. Frink correctly states that evidence of prior crimes is inadmissible to prove commission of the crime charged. However, as the Court of Appeals noted, (1) the jury was admonished to disregard the prior offenses listed on the record which was in evidence merely to prove that Frink's license was suspended, and (2) the jury evidently followed the admonishment because it acquitted Frink on the DWI charge, despite the two prior DWIs listed on the driving record. Because no prejudice resulted, we agree with the Court of Appeals' resolution of this issue, but we also should state that we believe that the better practice would be to conceal the surplus information regarding prior offenses prior to the documents being passed to the jury.