Opinion ID: 507204
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 7

Heading: Evidence of Gratz's Prior Convictions.

Text: 47 In 1951 and again in 1958 plaintiff Gratz was convicted and sentenced to prison for passing bad checks. He was released from prison in 1965. WPSC argues that the trial court erred in refusing to allow it to present evidence of these convictions to the jury in order to impeach Gratz. Since more than ten years had elapsed between Gratz's release from prison and trial, the admissibility of the evidence is determined under Fed.R.Evid. 609(b). That rule provides, among other things, that stale convictions are admissible only if the court determines that the probative value of the conviction ... substantially outweighs its prejudicial effect. (Emphasis added.) See United States v. Greschner, 802 F.2d 373, 382 n. 11 (10th Cir.1986), cert. denied, --- U.S. ----, 107 S.Ct. 1353, 94 L.Ed.2d 523 (1987). The trial court made a clear finding that the prejudicial effect of the conviction outweighed its probative value. This was not an abuse of discretion. 48