Opinion ID: 2543059
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Admission of Evidence of Prior Felony Conviction

Text: For his second point on appeal, Smith asserts that the circuit court erred in admitting evidence of a prior felony conviction for aggravated assault under Arkansas Rule of Evidence 609. Evidence of prior criminal convictions is not admissible to bolster the prosecution's case by showing that the accused is a bad person but is limited for the purpose of discrediting the witness's testimony. Henry v. State, 278 Ark. 478, 489, 647 S.W.2d 419, 426 (1983). In the present case, there was no direct evidence of how the victim suffered the injuries that caused her death. The circumstantial evidence pointed to Smith, who was alone with LB when the injuries allegedly occurred. He asserted that she injured herself when she slipped, a cause directly refuted by the medical examiner. Thus, Smith's credibility was a critical issue in this case, and his prior conviction was relevant to the purpose of attacking his credibility. Smith moved in limine to exclude the reference to the 2006 felony conviction for aggravated assault, asserting that the conviction was inadmissible because it is not a crime involving dishonesty. Smith misreads Rule 609. Rule 609(a)(1) provides that convictions for crimes where the punishment is death or imprisonment in excess of one year may be admissible, and Rule 609(a)(2) provides that any convictions involving dishonesty or false statements may be admissible regardless of the punishment that is imposed. Thus, felony convictions where punishment is imprisonment for more than one year or death are admissible to impeach credibility, but where the punishment is less than one year, the conviction is inadmissible unless it involved honesty or false statements. [1] The circuit court did not err in finding that the felony conviction was admissible under Rule 609(a)(1). Smith also asserts that even if the evidence was admissible, the court abused its discretion in admitting the evidence because the probative value of the conviction was outweighed by the prejudicial harm. A court commits an abuse of discretion when it improvidently exercises its discretion, for example, when discretion is exercised thoughtlessly and without due consideration. Williams v. State, 374 Ark. 282, 290, 287 S.W.3d 559, 565 (2008). Smith's veracity for truth was at issue, and we find no abuse of discretion in allowing admission of his prior conviction for the purpose of attacking his credibility. [2]