People v. Lee

The court’s Sandoval ruling balanced the appropriate factors and was a proper exercise of discretion (see People v Hayes, 97 NY2d 203 [2002]; People v Walker, 83 NY2d 455, 458-459 [1994]). The court precluded any inquiry into more than half of the numerous prior bad acts identified by the People. In those instances where the court permitted inquiry into a conviction, it generally precluded inquiry into the underlying facts. The probative value of defendant’s extensive theft-related convictions outweighed their prejudicial effect.

The fact that one of the victims testified through a Cantonese *634in…