Evidence — prior convictions

By: WISCONSIN LAW JOURNAL STAFF//January 2, 2014//

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United States Court of Appeals For the Seventh Circuit

Criminal

Evidence — prior convictions

It was not an abuse of discretion for the court to prohibit a defendant from impeaching a government witness with a 2000 conviction for defrauding the federal government.

“In this case, in light of the admission of Chandler’s eleven prior convictions for wire fraud that were within the ten-year window, her 2000 conviction had very little probative value, if any. See Heath, 447 F.3d at 539; Gray, 410 F.3d at 446. Thus, the district court did not abuse its discretion in finding that the probative value of the remote conviction did not substantially outweigh the prejudicial effect of presenting cumulative evidence. Because we agree that there was no abuse of discretion in excluding the prior conviction, we need not reach the government’s alternative argument.”

Affirmed.

13-1297 U.S. v. Rucker

Appeal from the United States District Court for the Northern District of Indiana, Lozano, J., Kapala, J.

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