Court Opinion

ID: 9779332
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-29 21:47:08.938085+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:33:25.419515
License: Public Domain

REINHARD, Chief Judge,
concurring.
I concur in the result reached by Judge Karohl because the cross-examination went too far. However, I believe a few additional words are necessary because of the increasing number of appeals in which the defendant alleges error over cross-examination of his prior convictions. In my opinion, when a defendant elects to testify, he largely controls the extent of cross-examination concerning his prior convictions. If the defendant unequivocally, clearly and concisely testifies to all of his prior convictions, including the nature of the offense, dates, place and resulting sentence, further examination by the state is generally foreclosed.1 However, in many of the cases reaching us on appeal, the defendant equivocates, tries to explain or does not fully and accurately disclose his prior convictions. In those cases the prosecutor may inquire further.
In the case at bar, on direct examination defendant did not fully disclose his prior convictions, because he omitted mentioning the resulting sentence he received, as well as the place of the crime. Moreover, on direct examination, defendant intended to create the clear implication that he had pleaded guilty in the previous case because he was guilty and he was standing trial in this case because he was not guilty. The assistant prosecuting attorney in his cross-examination asked defendant whether or not he had pleaded guilty because of a negotiated plea. At this point the defense counsel objected. The court’s overruling of *422this objection was proper. See State v. Turner, 655 S.W.2d 710 (Mo.App.1983). The next several questions regarding the underlying facts of the prior conviction went too far, though, the state was entitled to elicit that the crime occurred in Dell-wood. However, defendant made no objection to these questions and, therefore, cannot be the basis for a reversal. Finally, after the assistant prosecuting attorney mentioned the use of a weapon in the prior offense, defense counsel objected. The trial court should have sustained that objection and its failure to do so at that juncture was clearly prejudicial error.

. I am speaking of the situation where the prior convictions are used for impeachment purposes only and not where the prior crimes may be admissible as a common plan or scheme.