A pretrial ruling allows a prosecutor to introduce evidence of a defendant’s prior convictions to impeach their credibility if they choose to testify. The judge weighs the probative value of the prior conviction against the potential for prejudice to the defendant. For example, if an individual is on trial for fraud, a prior conviction for perjury might be admissible to suggest the defendant is not truthful, thus impacting their believability in the current case.
This determination is crucial for both the prosecution and the defense. For the prosecution, it provides a potential tool to challenge the defendant’s testimony. For the defense, it requires careful consideration of whether the defendant should testify, weighing the risks of impeachment against the potential benefits of presenting their side of the story. Historically, these rulings have evolved to strike a balance between allowing relevant evidence while protecting defendants from unfair prejudice based on past actions.
