Court Opinion

ID: 9705871
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-26 01:24:35.123938+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T15:26:10.003971
License: Public Domain

J. H. Gillis, J.
(dissenting). I respectfully dissent. The Renno case1 set forth the following rule:
"We do not hesitate in this case to prohibit the further use of municipal ordinance or misdemeanor convictions used by the prosecution solely for impeachment purposes. This type of conviction was never intended by our Legislature to fall within the confines of MCLA 600.2158; MSA 27A.2158, or MCLA 600.2159; MSA 27A.2159. This is affirmatively shown by the legislative history of these statutes. It is time that this Court brings our current interpretation of these stat*573utes back in line with their original purposes.” Renno, supra, at 55.
However, the Renno Court carefully acknowledged that the nature and extent of any rule set forth in Renno would be subject to future modification.
"The nature of and the extent of any rule which this Court may devise in this area is still not settled.” Renno, supra, at 51.
A recent Supreme Court case has questioned the validity of Renno, supra.
"In People v Renno, 392 Mich 45, 55; 219 NW2d 422 (1974), this Court held that municipal ordinance or misdemeanor convictions may not be used for impeachment purposes.
"The proposed Michigan Rules of Evidence would provide that the credibility of a witness may not be impeached by evidence that he was convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for one year or less unless the crime involved dishonesty or false statement. MRE 609(a)(2). This rule would modify Renno, Sting [Sting v Davis, 384 Mich 608; 185 NW2d 360 (1971)], and GCR 1963, 607. It appears that before this case is likely to be retried this Court will act comprehensively regarding the proposed Michigan Rules of Evidence.” Kirby v Larson, 400 Mich 585, 600; 256 NW2d 400 (1977).
The Michigan Supreme Court adopted the proposed Michigan Rules of Evidence effective March 1, 1978.
This Court in People v McMillan, 68 Mich App 113; 242 NW2d 518 (1976),2 has interpreted the Renno case, supra, as not mandating per se rever*574sal of a conviction when prior misdemeanor convictions are used for impeachment purposes at trial. The McMillan Court stated that under certain circumstances the use of prior misdemeanor convictions for impeachment purposes would be harmless error. The McMillan Court went on to conclude that Renno, supra, was in need of clarification in respect to what exactly constitutes a misdemeanor for impeachment purposes under the case:
"Renno held that from hence forward, only convictions for infamous crimes could be used to impeach a witness. Renno further equated infamous crimes with felonies.
"We do not think that, in Michigan, the term 'infamous crime’ can necessarily be equated with the term 'felony’. In Attorney General v Montgomery, 275 Mich 504, 513; 267 NW 550 (1936), our Supreme Court defined an infamous crime as follows:
" 'Whether a crime is infamous or not is not determined by the nature of the offense (2 Bouvier’s Law Dictionary [Rawle’s 3d Rev] p 1553,1554), but by the consequences to the individuals by the punishment prescribed for such offense. Butler v Wentworth, 84 Me 25 (24 Atl 456, 17 L.R.A. 764). Crimes subject to infamous punishments are infamous crimes, and the term "infamous crime” means any crime punishable by imprisonment in the state prison (Citations omitted.)
"It would then appear that under Montgomery, supra, impeachment should be permissible by use of prior convictions based on a crime punishable by imprisonment in the state prison, regardless of whether it is dubbed 'felony’ or 'misdemeanor’.
"We do not point out this apparent inconsistency to nitpick at the Supreme Court. Real problems are presented in this area. For example, the crime of unlawfully taking and using an automobile is labeled a misdemeanor, but, nonetheless, carries the possible sentence of two years imprisonment in a state penitentiary.
*575MCLA 750.414; MSA 28.646. On the other hand, the crime of issuing a check without an account or credit is labeled a felony although it also carries a possible maximum sentence of two years in the state prison. MCLA 750.131a; MSA 28.326(1). Under Renno, the prosecutor would be allowed to impeach credibility by using a conviction under MCLA 750.131a; MSA 28.326(1); he would not be able to do so by using one under MCLA 750.414; MSA 28.646. Yet the two statutes carry exactly the same penalties, and we believe, under Montgomery, there is no distinction between them in regards to impeaching credibility.” McMillan, supra, at 123-124.
The offense in the instant matter, attempted larceny from a building, is a high misdemeanor punishable by two years in prison. Under the Michigan Rules of Evidence, effective March 1, 1978, such an offense clearly would be admissible for impeachment purposes:
"For the purpose of attacking the credibility of a witness, evidence that he has been convicted of a crime shall be admitted if elicited from him or established by public record during cross-examination but only if
"(1) the crime was punishable by death or imprisonment in excess of one year under the law under which he was convicted, or the crime involved theft, dishonesty or false statement, regardless of the punishment, and
"(2) the court determines that the probative value of admitting this evidence on the issue of credibility outweighs its prejudicial effect.” (Emphasis supplied.) MRE 609(a).
It should also be noted that the majority in the McMillan case, supra, urged the Supreme Court to allow the use of high misdemeanor convictions for impeachment purposes by restricting the Renno *576rule to those crimes carrying a maximum penalty of 90 days in jail.
Regardless of the construction the Supreme Court gives to Renno in respect to what constitutes a misdemeanor, the trial judge’s failure to suppress defendant’s misdemeanor convictions for impeachment purposes was harmless error under the circumstances in this case. Since defendant would have been impeached by his prior felony conviction,3 I fail to see how allowing further impeachment via a misdemeanor conviction would result in a miscarriage of justice.4
Accordingly, I would affirm defendants’ convictions.

 People v Renno, 392 Mich 45; 219 NW2d 422 (1974).

 Leave to appeal was denied by the Michigan Supreme Court, 399 Mich 825 (1977).

 People vHagar, 73 Mich App 536; 252 NW2d 484 (1977).

 People v Roberson, 55 Mich App 413; 222 NW2d 761 (1974), People v McMillan, 68 Mich App 113; 242 NW2d 518 (1976).