People v. Gowasky

When People v. Sickles (156 N. Y. 541) was argued in this court, counsel for the appellant claimed that it was very unfair and prejudicial to the defendant for the People to prove his previous bad character and his conviction of other crimes before he had been found guilty of the crime for which he was being tried. There was some merit in the claim that it was no proof that the defendant had committed the act charged, because some time in his past life he had been guilty of other offenses. This court, however, held in that case, following the earlier decisions, that the People must not only…