Court Opinion

ID: 9757072
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-28 22:17:42.881536+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:28:34.612082
License: Public Domain

POMEROY, Justice,
dissenting.
In the instant case, appellant called a witness, Louis Sparks, in an effort to impeach the credibility of the Commonwealth's principal witness, Arthur Hopkins. In rebuttal, the Commonwealth established that Sparks had been convicted of assault and battery of a police officer and being an accessory after the fact of a murder. The propriety of such impeachment evidence is not and could not be challenged. Additionally, however, the district attorney improperly asked several questions concerning prior arrests of Sparks which did not result in convictions. This error by the prosecutor, concludes the majority, requires the grant of a new trial. I dissent.
I agree that prior arrests which have not resulted in convictions may not properly be used to impeach a witness. And I agree that it was highly improper for the prosecuting attorney to disregard a rule so well established and that such conduct on the part of prosecutors is not to be condoned. Because, however, the jury was properly acquainted with the prior convictions of Sparks and because the jury was informed that the other arrests did not result in convictions, I am satisfied that in this particular case, the error was harmless and need not require the grant of a new trial.*
NIX, J., joins in this dissenting opinion.

 In a particular case, of course, improper impeachment of a witness could amount to reversible error. But where, as here, the witness is testifying only to the credibility of other testimony, and the prior record of the witness is already in evidence, any prejudice which might result is too attenuated to require reversal.