Opinion ID: 2321016
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Evidence of Defendant's Past Convictions

Text: Next, defendant argues that the trial justice abused his discretion in allowing the prosecutor to impeach him with seven of his prior convictions. [7] Outside the presence of the jury, the trial justice considered the admissibility of each prior conviction, and gave defendant full opportunity to contest any introduction. Ultimately, the trial justice allowed these seven convictions for impeachment purposes, in the event that defendant actually testified. Subsequently, defendant took the stand, and during cross-examination the prosecutor attempted to impeach him by using the prior convictions. [8] Upon completion of defendant's testimony, the trial justice gave a cautionary instruction to the jury as to the prior convictions. Rule 609 of the Rhode Island Rules of Evidence permits the admission of a witness's prior conviction to attack that witness's credibility unless the court determines that the prejudicial effect of the conviction substantially outweighs its probative value. [9] Gongoleski, 14 A.3d at 222. In contrast to Rule 609 of the Federal Rules of Evidence, our Rule 609 provides that the prior conviction need not involve dishonesty, false statement, or a felony to be admissible [for impeachment purposes]. Gongoleski, 14 A.3d at 222-23 (quoting State v. Medina, 747 A.2d 448, 450 (R.I.2000)). The rationale behind Rule 609 `is that the jury should be able to consider whether or not a person who has previously broken the law may have such disrespect for the law as to render him or her unwilling to abide by the oath requiring truthfulness while testifying.' Gongoleski, 14 A.3d at 223. (quoting Remy, 910 A.2d at 798). It is also well established in this jurisdiction that [a] trial justice is vested with a considerable degree of discretion in deciding whether or not to admit evidence of prior convictions to impeach a witness. Gongoleski, 14 A.3d at 222 (quoting Remy, 910 A.2d at 796). As such, this Court will overturn the trial justice's ruling only if there has been an abuse of discretion. See State v. Rocha, 834 A.2d 1263, 1266 (R.I. 2003). Additionally, this Court may uphold the trial justice even if this Court would have decided the matter differently had it been in the trial justice's position. Gongoleski, 14 A.3d at 222. The defendant asserts that because two of the prior convictions involved assaultive behavior the jury likely was improperly influenced to believe that defendant assaulted Ms. DelValle, despite the trial justice's cautionary instructions. We find this argument to be unpersuasive. This Court on numerous occasions has upheld the admission of a defendant's prior convictions for impeachment purposes when such convictions were similar or identical to the crime for which that defendant was tried. Gongoleski, 14 A.3d at 223; see also State v. Rodriquez, 731 A.2d 726, 731-32 (R.I.1999) (affirming trial justice's decision to allow the prosecution to use the defendant's prior convictions of assault with a dangerous weapon and assault with the intent to rob to impeach the credibility of the defendant, who was on trial for robbery); State v. Taylor, 581 A.2d 1037, 1039-40 (R.I.1990) (affirming trial justice's decision to allow the prosecution to use the defendant's prior conviction of breaking and entering in the daytime to impeach the credibility of the defendant, who was on trial for robbery); State v. Maxie, 554 A.2d 1028, 1031-32 (R.I.1989) (affirming trial justice's decision to allow the prosecution to use the defendant's prior convictions of attempted larceny and robbery to impeach the credibility of the defendant, who was on trial for robbery). Thus, the prior assaultive convictions at issue in this case are no more prejudicial to this defendant than the prior convictions were to the defendants in the cases cited above. See Remy, 910 A.2d at 799. The defendant also asserts that his misdemeanor convictions for disorderly conduct, obstructing a police officer, and violating a no-contact order do not pertain to his credibility as a witness. Rather, defendant contends, the use of these prior convictions improperly suggested to the jury that he was an ill-behaved individual with no respect for authority. This argument is unavailing and starkly contrasts the very purpose of Rule 609. As discussed, Rule 609 permits, under the trial justice's discretion, the admission of a witness's prior convictions to afford a jury another avenue to assess that witnesses's credibility. See Gongoleski, 14 A.3d at 222-23. In regard to the conviction for obtaining food or accommodations with the intent to defraud, defendant provides no basis as to how the trial justice erred in admitting this conviction. Moreover, this particular prior conviction involves an act of dishonesty or untruthfulness. The trial justice did not err in admitting this conviction for impeachment purposes. In this case, the record shows that the trial justice engaged in the appropriate balancing test. Each of the prior convictions occurred within ten years of the trial and therefore was not overly remote. See Vargas, 991 A.2d at 1061-62 (recognizing the passage of time as being one factor for the trial justice to consider when determining whether to admit evidence of prior convictions). It was likely that defendant and Ms. DelValle would present conflicting testimony to the jury. Thus, the case may have, in large part, turned on the credibility of these two witnesses. Taking these factors into consideration, it was reasonable for the trial justice to conclude that defendant's prior convictions had significant probative value. Furthermore, to offset the prejudicial effect of the prior convictions, the trial justice, immediately after defendant finished testifying, provided a cautionary instruction to the jury. [10] This Court must accept that a jury has followed a trial justice's instructions as they were given. Rosario, 14 A.3d at 216 (quoting LaPlante, 962 A.2d at 71-72). We hold, therefore, that the trial justice did not abuse his discretion in admitting, for impeachment purposes, evidence of the defendant's prior convictions.