Stokes v. City of Chicago

William Stokes sued the City of Chicago (the City) for injuries he said he sustained when his foot caught in a hole in the sidewalk at 656 North Green Street. Throughout the trial the City insisted it had the right to impeach Stokes’s credibility with his three prior burglary convictions. The trial court was equally insistent that the City had no such right.

The jury found in favor of Stokes, awarding him $30,000 in damages. The single issue in this appeal is whether the trial court committed reversible error when it refused to allow the City to impeach Stokes.

We reverse and remand.

FACTS

Because…