State v. Brown

Brachtenbach, J. —

The primary issues are whether the trial court properly admitted prior misdemeanor theft convictions pursuant to ER 404(b), and whether the trial court properly ruled that the same convictions and a prior felony theft conviction were admissible for impeachment purposes pursuant to ER 609.

Our decision in this case changes this state's law relating to ER 609(a) in a number of respects; each change has been weighed carefully. We are mindful of principles of stare decisis, and we have not lightly altered prior decisional law. Yet this case has, by its factual status and the…