Court Opinion

ID: 9576545
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-21 21:25:44.983264+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T13:09:41.291844
License: Public Domain

*667Justice Exum
dissenting.
I disagree with the majority’s conclusion that the state’s cross-examination of defendant concerning the incidents allegedly occurring in California was not reversible error. The obvious effect of these four questions taken together and set out verbatim in the majority opinion was to convey to the jury that defendant had been charged in California with three assaults similar in nature to the assault for which he was being tried. The questions were thus improper under State v. Williams, 279 N.C. 663, 185 S.E. 2d 174 (1971). Since the jury undoubtedly got this message, there is a reasonable possibility the result may have been different had the message not been conveyed. The result, in my view, is reversible error entitling defendant to a new trial.
Even if the first three questions, considered as the majority does apart from the fourth, are construed to be mere inquiries into acts of misconduct designed only to impeach defendant’s credibility, the prejudicial impact of the questions far outweighs their probative value for this purpose. See State v. Stone, 240 N.C. 606, 83 S.E. 2d 543 (1954); see also N.C.G.S. § 8C-1, Rule 403. Under our new rules of evidence, effective 1 July 1984, such cross-examination will not be permitted even for impeachment purposes. N.C.G.S. § 8C-1, Rule 608(b). In my view it should not have been permitted in this case.