People v. Elliot

Leon Elliot, Sr., went to trial before a jury on a charge of residential burglary. He testified. In rebuttal, the State offered and the trial court allowed, over objection, evidence of three prior felony convictions to impeach the defendant’s believability. The prior convictions were for burglary, residential burglary, and violation of bail bond.

The defendant contends admission of the prior convictions deprived him of a fair trial.

We hold the trial court was in error when it admitted the prior convictions without stopping to weigh the probative value of the convictions against their potential…