Court Opinion

ID: 9944106
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2024-02-26 16:17:36.715693+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T13:56:16.241555
License: Public Domain

The majority has accurately stated our rule on the impropriety of impeaching a defendant by evidence of previous convictions. However, I am not convinced that the rule applies to the peculiar facts of this case.
When the prosecutor asked whether Ivy had been convicted of any crime, the defense attorney objected, adding that "if he'll make it a felony, we have no objection." Thus, even if the objection had been sustained, the jury would effectively have been informed that Ivy had been convicted of a misdemeanor. Since the defense counsel was partially responsible for this state of affairs, I think that any error was not reversible. I would affirm the conviction.
GRIFFIN, J., joins this opinion.