Court Opinion

ID: 9733255
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-26 17:00:18.822427+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:26:39.994239
License: Public Domain

Bronson, J.
(concurring). I write separately because I disagree with the majority’s analysis concerning the trial court’s ruling pertaining to impeachment by evidence of an unspecified felony. In my opinion, it is now settled that to allow impeachment via evidence of an unspecified felony is improper. People v Jones, 92 Mich App 100, 113; 284 NW2d 501 (1979), People v Garth, 93 Mich App 308, 317-319; 287 NW2d 216 (1979), lv den 409 Mich 854 (1980), People v Vincent, 94 Mich App 626, 633-634; 288 NW2d 670 (1980), lv den 409 Mich 857 (1980), People v Van Dorsten, 409 Mich 942; 298 NW2d 421 (1980). As the Michigan Supreme Court said in Van Dorsten, "It is the nature, rather than the fact, of a prior felony conviction which the jury is to use in its evaluation of credibility.” Id.
Additionally, it appears that the trial court’s ruling concerning the circumstances under which *484the specifics of the prior felony conviction would be admitted constituted a weighing of similarity in favor of admissibility. This is contrary to People v Baldwin, 405 Mich 550; 275 NW2d 253 (1979), and People v Jackson, 391 Mich 323; 217 NW2d 22 (1974). If the defendant presented testimony showing his "virtuous” behavior, the trial court was prepared to admit evidence of the prior, specified criminal sexual conduct conviction. In other words, the trial court really was not admitting the prior conviction to attack credibility at all. Rather, the trial court would allow evidence of the specified conviction to come in to show the unvirtuous character of defendant. This rationale is specifically prohibited by MRE 404(b).
I vote to affirm solely because I am convinced that the error was harmless.