State v. Maxwell

ARNOLD, Judge.

Defendant contends that the trial court erred in allowing the State to question him about unrelated crimes. Defendant argues that this court should follow what is now probably the majority rule in this country, embodied in Rule 608(b) of the Federal Rules of Evidence. This rule gives the court discretion to permit cross-examination concerning instances of unrelated conduct, but only if such instances of conduct are probative of the witness’s truthfulness or untruthfulness. While there may be merit in defendant’s argument, we do not feel that this court has the prerogative to…