Opinion ID: 2431316
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: What Convictions, Pleas and Findings of Guilt are Relevant to Credibility?

Text: Rather than leave the determination of which criminal convictions, pleas or findings of guilt are relevant to credibility to a case-by-case determination, I would adopt a more specific rule. I would be amenable to the adoption of most of the various rules followed in other jurisdictions that result in the exclusion of non-credibility misdemeanors for impeachment purposes. Some jurisdictions allow only felonies to be used for impeachment, others allow the use of only felonies and misdemeanors involving dishonesty or false statement, while others allow any felony along with misdemeanors involving moral turpitude. [7] I would prefer to adopt a rule that would allow the use of convictions, pleas and findings of guilt of any felony or any misdemeanor involving dishonesty or false statement. [8] I believe that any conviction, plea or finding of guilt of a felony is relevant to credibility. The law generally recognizes the serious ramifications of a conviction of a felony. Those ramifications encompass such matters as the removal and restoration of civil rights, the right to hold office, the right to vote and the right to hold certain professional licenses following the conviction of a felony. The general public recognizes the significance of a conviction of a felony, and a jury will have no problem in evaluating the weight that should be given to such a conviction, plea or finding of guilt on the witness's credibility. In the case of misdemeanors, I would limit the convictions, pleas or findings of guilt that can be shown for impeachment to misdemeanors involving dishonesty or false statement. Under this approach, traffic violations, vagrancy, sexual misconduct such as prostitution or solicitation of prostitution (so long as it does not constitute a felony), and simple assault or other violent acts not constituting a felony would probably not be admissible to impeach the witness. Misdemeanors involving the making of a false statement under oath, misdemeanors of obtaining money under false pretenses and misdemeanor larceny would likely be admissible to impeach. Federal Rule of Evidence 609(a) [9] allows the use of the same categories of crimes, i.e., any felony and any misdemeanors involving dishonesty or false statements. The fact that the federal courts follow a similar rule would afford some guidelines to the extent Missouri courts desire to review the cases of another jurisdiction following such a rule. Eight other state courts use this approach. [10] The final decision as to where to draw the line between misdemeanor crimes that involve dishonesty or false statement and other misdemeanors will be left for final decision by the Missouri courts in the future. I would continue to distinguish between violations of state statutes and violations of municipal ordinances by excluding all convictions of municipal ordinances on the grounds that they are civil in nature and do not constitute crimes. Violations of municipal ordinances are not felonies, so they would not be admissible under the felony rule in any event. The vast majority of the ordinance violations do not involve dishonesty or false statement, so they, too, would be inadmissible even without a special rule for municipal ordinances. Any inconsistency involved in excluding violations of municipal ordinances involving dishonesty or false statement is outweighed by the desirability of maintaining consistency with our other holdings that violations of municipal ordinances are not crimes. I would uphold the trial court's rejection of plaintiff Lewis' prior conviction for speeding for the same reason the trial court gave, i.e., that a speeding conviction is not relevant to impeaching the credibility of a witness. I would hold that the decision in Blitz and its progeny is no longer applicable in light of the amendment to section 449.050 and the repeal of section 556.010.