Luce v. United States (469 U.S. 38)
U.S. Supreme Court · decided December 10, 1984 · Supreme Court Database (Spaeth)
- Citation
- 469 U.S. 38 · 105 S. Ct. 460
- Decided
- December 10, 1984
- Term
- October Term 1984
- Vote
- 8–0
- Majority author
- Justice Burger
- Issue area
- Criminal Procedure
- Disposition
- Affirmed
- Outcome
- Petitioning party lost
- Ideological direction
- Conservative
Opinion excerpt
Chief Justice Burger delivered the opinion of the Court. We granted certiorari to resolve a conflict among the Circuits as to whether the defendant, who did not testify at trial, is entitled to review of the District Court’s ruling denying his motion to forbid the use of a prior conviction to impeach his credibility. I Petitioner was indicted on charges of conspiracy, and possession of cocaine with intent to distribute, in violation of 21 U. S. C. §§ 846 and 841(a)(1). During his trial in the United States District Court for the Western District of Tennessee, petitioner moved for a ruling to preclude the Government from using a 1974 state conviction to impeach him if he testified. There was no commitment by petitioner that he would testify if the motion were granted, nor did he make a proffer to the court as to what his testimony would be. In opposing the motion, the Government represented that the conviction was for a serious crime — possession of a controlled substance. The District Court ruled that the prior conviction fell within the category of permissible impeachment evidence under Federal Rule of Evidence 609(a). The District Court noted, however, that the nature and scope of petitioner’s trial testimony could affect the court’s specific evidentiary rulings; for example, the court was prepared to hold that the prior conviction would be excluded if petitioner limited…
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