Opinion ID: 1518773
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 9

Heading: did testimony of crockett stevens' prior felony convictions constitute reversible error?

Text: The testimony of Crockett Stevens was presented via deposition. During the deposition, the prosecutor asked Stevens if he had ever been convicted of a felony. Following up on Stevens' affirmative answer, the prosecutor asked whether Stevens had more than that one felony conviction, when the conviction occurred, whether he had only been convicted of a felony that had been thrown out by the Sixth Circuit, and whether he had a conviction on his record at the time the deposition was taken. Defense counsel objected to every question following the initial inquiry, relying on KRE 609, and arguing that any follow up is barred, once the conviction is acknowledged. Appellant also argues that because the reversed conviction occurred in 1975, more that ten years prior to the witness's testimony, it was inadmissible without a determination that the probative value of the conviction substantially outweighed its prejudicial effect. KRE 609(b). The trial court did admonish the jury as to the use the evidence could be put to in its deliberations. Commonwealth v. Richardson, Ky., 674 S.W.2d 515 (1984). A review of the record reveals that the trial court did not rule on the objections raised during the course of the deposition; thus, the objection could be deemed waived. Sanborn v. Commonwealth, Ky., 892 S.W.2d 542, cert. denied, ___ U.S. ___, 116 S.Ct. 154, 133 L.Ed.2d 98 (1995); Bell v. Commonwealth, Ky., 473 S.W.2d 820 (1971). However, because this is a death penalty case, we review the error in accordance with Sanders, supra . The net result of Stevens' testimony is that he had been convicted of a felony, that conviction was reversed by the appellate court, and he was convicted once again on retrial of the same charge. The specifics of the charge were never relayed to the jury and the jury was properly admonished. Considering the entire circumstances surrounding this testimony and the content of Stevens' substantive testimony, we do not believe that Appellant's conviction or the imposition of the death penalty would not have occurred had Stevens' prior conviction not been mentioned. The only matter of substance testified to by Stevens was that sometime in the spring of 1990, Gordon Canter was living with him in Chicago and, while high on something, told Stevens that he and David Gross had offed some people after ripping them off. Stevens stated that he interpreted this to mean that the unidentified people were killed but could provide no other details. The introduction of this evidence does not constitute reversible error.