Opinion ID: 1722059
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Was trial court correct in admitting evidence of a prior robbery conviction to impeach defendant as a witness?

Text: Before presenting his evidence defendant asked for a ruling on the impeachment possibility. Apparently prior discussions in chambers had gone unreported. Trial court, ascertaining defendant had prior felony convictions for robbery and carrying a concealed weapon, ruled the prosecutor might cross-examine defendant for impeachment on the robbery conviction but not that of carrying a concealed weapon. Following this ruling, evidence of the robbery conviction was elicited on defendant's examination in chief. In not contending this waived any asserted error, the State was probably mindful of our consideration of this issue on its merits despite a claim of waiver in State v. Miller, 229 N.W.2d 762, 770 (Iowa 1975). As we interpret it, defendant's argument has two facets. First, he argues we should further narrow our holding in State v. Martin, 217 N.W.2d 536 (Iowa 1974) to restrict impeachment to prior convictions bearing directly on defendant's credibility (such as perjury, fraud and deceit, and larceny by misrepresentation) or hold all such impeachment evidence violative of defendant's constitutional right to testify in his own defense. Passing the issue that the record does not disclose these grounds were urged below, we are not disposed to constrict application of § 622.17, The Code, further than we have in Martin, supra. We have held a conviction for larceny reflects on veracity and, when all other Martin criteria are met, is available for impeachment purposes. State v. Conner, 241 N.W.2d 447, 454-455 (Iowa 1976); State v. Miller, supra, 229 N.W.2d at 769-770. We decline to hold that robbery, which in essence is larceny from the person with additional elements including force or violence or fear thereof, is any less reflective of defendant's veracity. The second facet of defendant's argument seems to assert the robbery conviction is so similar to the charge of shoplifting its value for impeachment in this trial was outweighed by a substantial danger of undue prejudice. Defendant relies on a rationale articulated in People v. Delgado, 32 Cal.App.3d 242, 248-249, 108 Cal.Rptr. 399, 404-405 (1973), a decision cited in Martin, supra, 217 N.W.2d at 543. We hold the probative value of a robbery conviction for impeachment purposes in a shoplifting trial is not outweighed by any likelihood that a jury will be led astray and convict an innocent man because of his bad record. See Martin, supra, 217 N.W.2d at 543. That danger is no more apparent here than it was in Miller, supra, where we approved (in a shoplifting trial) admission of four prior convictions: two for larceny in the nighttime, one for larceny and one for shoplifting. Trial court did not abuse its discretion in admitting evidence of defendant's prior robbery conviction.