Opinion ID: 2093417
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 9

Heading: Plain Error in Admission of Evidence of Prior Conviction

Text: For his fourth assignment of error, Dreimanis claims the Court of Appeals erred when it determined that the district court allowing the admission of [Dreimanis'] prior conviction into evidence in direct conflict and contrary to it's [sic] prior ruling on its admissibility had no prejudicial impact and was not plain error. Specifically, Dreimanis argues that the Court of Appeals erred in not finding plain error for two reasons. First, he asserts that admission of evidence of his prior conviction was plain error because no Denno hearing was held to determine the voluntariness of his statements to police in the prior case. Second, he asserts that the trial court's stated purpose for admitting such evidence was impeachment in the event Dreimanis testified, and because he did not testify, such evidence could not have been received, and such admission was plain error. We reject both arguments. Consideration of plain error occurs at the discretion of an appellate court, and a party who fails to properly assign an error on further review does so at its peril. State v. Al-Zubaidy, 257 Neb. 935, 602 N.W.2d 8 (1999); State v. Woods, 255 Neb. 755, 587 N.W.2d 122 (1998). Plain error will be noted only where an error is evident from the record, prejudicially affects a substantial right of a litigant, and is of such a nature that to leave it uncorrected would cause a miscarriage of justice or result in damage to the integrity, reputation, and fairness of the judicial process. State v. Woods, supra .