State v. Balthrop

In State v. Sands, 76 N.J. 127 (1978), we held that N.J.S.A. 2A:81-12 did not set down a wooden rule that the conviction of a crime may always be introduced into evidence to affect the credibility of any witness. Rather, the applicability of the statute in any given case depended on the nature of the crime for which the witness had been convicted, its remoteness and the *548danger of prejudice, delay or confusion. In Sands we also noted that, because of the statute, ordinarily evidence of prior convictions should be admitted and placed the burden of justifying exclusion on the party seeking…