Commonwealth v. Sale

JOHNSON, Judge:

The Commonwealth appeals from a pretrial ruling excluding evidence of a business’ reputation as a house of ill repute or prostitution in a prosecution of the owner on charges of promoting prostitution, gambling and criminal conspiracy. In its Notice of Appeal, the Commonwealth has certified that the exclusion order seriously impairs its ability to present its case and prove the crime. We determine that evidence of a business’ reputation as a house of ill repute is not admissible to establish the actual character of the business. Accordingly, we affirm.

In 1988, undercover…