Opinion ID: 1856614
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Impeachment by Prior Felony.

Text: Upon retrial this issue will undoubtedly arise again. Defendant argues that the trial court erred in ruling that evidence of Griffin's prior conviction for breaking and entering was admissible to impeach Griffin's testimony at trial. The court of appeals rejected this argument; and so do we. In accordance with our holding in State v. Martin, 217 N.W.2d 536, 543 (Iowa 1974), the trial court conducted a pretrial hearing on this question. The State presented the trial court with written records from the Polk County Clerk of Court's Office. These records reflected that in 1976, defendant had been convicted of breaking and entering a building with intent to commit a public offense, which was a violation of section 708.8, The Code 1975. The minutes attached to the trial information asserted defendant intended at the time of the break-in to commit theft. Based on this and also on defendant's admission of the prior crime, the trial court, over proper objection by defendant, ruled that the State could use this prior conviction to impeach defendant. Actually this matter was not reached because defendant admitted the prior felony conviction during his direct testimony. This, however, does not mean that defendant waived error. State v. Jones, 271 N.W.2d 761, 765 (Iowa 1978). Defendant argues that the crime of breaking and entering does not itself involve dishonesty. In State v. Williams, 315 N.W.2d at 45, 53 (Iowa 1982) and State v.Webb, 309 N.W.2d 404, 413 (Iowa 1981) we held that a conviction for breaking and entering with intent to commit theft is a felony involving dishonesty. Thus, the only question remaining is defendant's alternative argument that the State failed to establish defendant's intent at the time of his prior crime. In this case, the minutes of testimony came in without objection and were not contradicted. They recited the basic facts upon which defendant's conviction rested and upon which the trial court could find that defendant's prior crime involved intent to commit theft. Cf. Williams, 315 N.W.2d at 52-53 (counsel's professional statement may form basis for determining necessary element of prior conviction). Under the record in the present case, there was no error in permitting the State to use this prior conviction to impeach defendant. III. For the reasons stated in Division I, we vacate the opinion of the court of appeals, reverse the judgment of the trial court, and remand the case for a new trial. OPINION OF COURT OF APPEALS VACATED; TRIAL COURT JUDGMENT REVERSED AND CASE REMANDED FOR NEW TRIAL.