Williams v. State

I respectfully dissent from the part of the majority opinion which deals with the admissibility of a prior felony conviction for the purpose of attacking the credibility of a witness. The appellant decided not to testify in his own defense, based on the trial court’s ruling regarding the admissibility of a prior conviction. He now alleges that the trial court erred.

Where a defendant in a criminal case testifies in his own behalf, his credibility becomes an issue, and the State may impeach his testimony by proof of prior felony convictions. Uniform Rules of Evidence, Rule 609 (a), Ark. Stat.…