Woodson v. Commonwealth

Opinion

BARROW, J.

This criminal defendant appeals a conviction of petit larceny after having been previously convicted of larceny. The trial court denied the defendant’s request that the jury be instructed that defendant’s previous convictions of larceny should not be considered in determining his guilt or innocence but should only be considered in fixing punishment if his guilt was established by other evidence. We hold that this instruction should have been given.

During the trial, a witness identified the defendant as the person she saw stealing several steaks, each valued at between four…