United States v. Jefferson

DECISION

MURDOCK, Judge:

A military judge sitting alone convicted the appellant of larceny and sentenced him to a bad conduct discharge, 2 months confinement, and forfeiture of $426 per month for two months. At trial, and again on appeal, the appellant urged that it was error for the trial counsel to attempt to impeach him by introducing evidence of his prior conviction for larceny of less than $100. We agree.

By his own admission, the appellant is a prankster. He met his intended victim while they were both confined at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. On the appellant’s first free weekend after returning…