Opinion ID: 2221894
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Impeachment by Conviction

Text: Nunn argues that it was improper for the trial court to preclude the defense from using evidence of a prior conviction to impeach a State witness, even though there was a pardon for the crime. This issue, whether a conviction for which a pardon has been granted may be used to impeach the witness, is one of first impression. As part of our decision, we examine what effect a pardon has on the conviction. This Court in Kelley v. State (1933), 204 Ind. 612, 185 N.E. 453, concluded that a pardon relieves the person of the punishment for the crime and obliterates the finding of guilt. The Court determined that the State could not use a prior conviction which had been pardoned to support an habitual offender charge. Id., 204 Ind. at 630-31, 185 N.E. at 460. In explaining the decision, the Court cited a United States Supreme Court decision which states: A pardon reaches both the punishment prescribed for the offense and the guilt of the offender; and when the pardon is full, it releases the punishment and blots out of existence the guilt, so that in the eye of the law the offender is as innocent as if he had never committed the offense. If granted before conviction, it prevents any of the penalties and disabilities consequent upon conviction from attaching; if granted after conviction, it removes the penalties and disabilities, and restores him to all his civil rights; it makes him, as it were, a new man, and gives him a new credit and capacity. Ex parte Garland (1866), 71 U.S. 4 Wall. 333, 379, 18 L.Ed. 366, 370, quoted in Kelley, 612 Ind. at 625, 185 N.E. at 458. The Court of Appeals recently examined a similar issue in State v. Bergman (1990), Ind. App., 558 N.E.2d 1111. In Bergman, the Court of Appeals examined the ability of the court to expunge a conviction after a pardon. The court concluded that in order to clear defendant's name and to give effect to the pardon, it was appropriate to expunge the record of the conviction. Id. at 1114. The court determined its decision to be consistent with Kelley. Additionally, the Federal Rules of Evidence provide only a limited right to use a conviction after a pardon. Federal Rule of Evidence 609(c) provides: Evidence of a conviction is not admissible under this rule if (1) the conviction has been the subject of a pardon, annulment, certificate of rehabilitation, or other equivalent procedure based on a finding of the rehabilitation of the person convicted, and that person has not been convicted of a subsequent crime which was punishable by death or imprisonment in excess of one year, or (2) the conviction has been the subject of a pardon, annulment, or other equivalent procedure based on a finding of innocence. As stated in Kelley, the purpose of a pardon is to give a person a new start by blocking out the existence of guilt. Kelley, 204 Ind. at 625, 185 N.E. at 458. When a pardoned conviction is used to impeach a person, the purpose for granting the pardon may be diminished. The Federal Rule, however, protects the purpose of a pardon by permitting impeachment by a pardoned conviction only in limited circumstances. In doing this, we find that the Federal Rule furthers the purpose of a pardon. Accordingly, we adopt the Federal Rule which generally denies impeachment by a conviction after a pardon is granted. The pardon granted in favor of the witness stated that he had led a crime-free life since his release from probation, he had earned the confidence and support from his peers in the community, and that the pardon was requested so that he could become a full-time police officer. This satisfies the requirements of the Federal Rule and thus the rule announced today. We hold that the trial court was correct in refusing to permit impeachment by a pardoned conviction.