Opinion ID: 1187718
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Second ProngProbative Value

Text: Thompson claims that the trial court erred by only engaging in the requisite balancing of probative value versus prejudicial impact with regard to the nature of his prior conviction, not with regard to the fact of his prior conviction. Idaho Rule of Evidence 609 allows evidence of a prior conviction only if the fact of the conviction or the nature of the conviction, or both, are relevant and if the probative value outweighs its prejudicial effect. I.R.E. 609(a). The trial court commented with regard to the admissibility of Thompson's prior conviction under I.R.E. 609 as follows: [COURT]: ... Counsel has brought to the Court's attention that the defendant may take the stand but he would like to have an evidentiary ruling before he makes that decision. The evidentiary ruling is regarding his prior criminal record. Counsel for the defendant, Mr. Swafford, has informed the Court that the defendant has a prior felony conviction for lewd and lascivious conduct. The Court finds that that type of conviction does go to the believability, credibility of a witness. Lewd and lascivious conduct is a type of crime that is deceitful and it would have some probative value under Idaho Rule of Evidence ... [609] to credibility. The trial court read I.R.E. 609 verbatim and discussed the time limitations set forth under the rule. The court concluded that Thompson's prior conviction fell within the ten-year time limitation and then addressed the State's request to question Thompson about the nature of his prior conviction: COURT: Under 609 the Court does find involved in this caseand since the credibility of the witness is questioned by the examination as well as this Court observing her demeanor while on the stand I feel that the probative value of the lewd and lascivious conduct, nothing more being said to the jury than that, that it would not add to the attack for a felony conviction and its prejudicial value far outweighs any of its probative value with regard to the lewd and lascivious conduct action because even though he's not charged with a lewd and lascivious conduct criminal offense in this particular case, the only reason he is not is because the alleged victim was not under 16 years of age. So the Court will allow if you take the stand, Mr. Thompson, will allow the State to ask if you've been convicted of a felony offense. I've already instructed the jury that if they hear that they can take that and apply that to the credibility. That's whether they would believe you or not. The Court would rule that the nature of the offense, lewd and lascivious conduct, does not add sufficiently enough to the attack of your credibility to outweigh the prejudicial value, so (Court is reviewing.) COURT: Indicates that are relevant to his credibility and that the probative value of admitting this evidence outweighs its prejudicial effect to the party offering the witness. And the Court finds that the probative value does notor I should say does not outweigh the prejudicial effect so the Court's not allowing the nature of the offense. Thompson did not request any further clarification of the trial judge's analysis after the judge asked the parties if they would like him to restate his findings. In State v. Rodgers, 119 Idaho 1066, 812 P.2d 1227 (Ct.App.1990), the Court of Appeals affirmed the result and analysis employed by the district court when weighing the probative value of the defendant's prior conviction against its prejudicial impact. The district court in Rodgers considered several factors: (1) the impeachment value of the prior crime, (2) the remoteness of the prior conviction, (3) the witness' criminal history, (4) the similarity between the past crime and the crime charged, (5) the importance of the witness' testimony, (6) the centrality of the credibility issue, and (7) the nature and extent of the witness' criminal record as a whole. Id. at 1073, 812 P.2d at 1234. The district court concluded that the prior conviction was relevant to the defendant's credibility and that its probative value outweighed the prejudicial effect. The court, therefore, allowed evidence of the fact of the conviction, but to minimize prejudice it did not allow evidence of the nature of the offense. The Court of Appeals held that the district court had not abused its discretion. This Court concurred in the analysis and disposition of this issue in its review of the Court of Appeals decision. State v. Rodgers, 119 Idaho 1047, 1052, 812 P.2d 1208, 1213 (1991). The trial court in the present case considered many of the same factors considered in Rodgers, including the impeachment value of the prior crime, the remoteness of the prior conviction, the similarity between the past crime and the crime charged, and the centrality of the credibility issue. The trial court recognized that the issue of credibility was particularly central in this case because the evidence consisted of basically the victim's word against Thompson's word. To minimize prejudice the trial court initially ruled that evidence of the nature of Thompson's prior conviction should not be admitted into evidence. The trial court properly applied the two-prong test in determining whether to admit evidence of Thompson's prior conviction.