Opinion ID: 487806
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Jerome Tunstall's Prior Conviction

Text: 17 Jerome Tunstall argues that the district court erred when it denied his motion in limine to suppress evidence of his prior convictions. Tunstall, however, did not testify at trial. Accordingly, he has waived his objection to the district court's ruling. Luce v. United States, 469 U.S. 38, 43, 105 S.Ct. 460, 464, 83 L.Ed.2d 443 (1985). 18 Jerome Tunstall, who did not testify, also alleges that, by indirection, the prosecutor improperly left the jury with knowledge of his prior criminal record. During cross-examination of an FBI agent, counsel for Maryland and Leroy Tunstall asked if the Tunstalls had any criminal convictions. The prosecutor then requested a clarification of the question so that it pertained only to Maryland and Leroy Tunstall. Jerome Tunstall argues that the prosecutor's clarification improperly left the jury with the impression that he had been previously convicted and the district court erred when it refused to grant a mistrial after this exchange. 19 We do not agree that the prosecutor's action constitutes reversible error. The prosecutor limited the question in order to avoid an answer that would reveal Jerome Tunstall's previous conviction. The sequence of questioning failed to establish anything relative to Jerome Tunstall. Furthermore, this one question did not influence the jury's verdict, as is evidenced by Jerome's acquittal on another count.