Art. 609.1.  Attacking credibility by evidence of conviction of crime in criminal cases

A.  General criminal rule.  In a criminal case, every witness by testifying subjects himself to examination relative to his criminal convictions, subject to limitations set forth below.

B.  Convictions.  Generally, only offenses for which the witness has been convicted are admissible upon the issue of his credibility, and no inquiry is permitted into matters for which there has only been an arrest, the issuance of an arrest warrant, an indictment, a prosecution, or an acquittal.

C.  Details of convictions.  Ordinarily, only the fact of a conviction, the name of the offense, the date thereof, and the sentence imposed is admissible.  However, details of the offense may become admissible to show the true nature of the offense:

(1)  When the witness has denied the conviction or denied recollection thereof;

(2)  When the witness has testified to exculpatory facts or circumstances surrounding the conviction; or

(3)  When the probative value thereof outweighs the danger of unfair prejudice, confusion of the issues, or misleading the jury.

D.  Effect of pending post-conviction relief procedures.  The pendency of an appeal or other post-conviction relief procedures does not render the conviction inadmissible, but may be introduced as bearing upon the weight to be given the evidence of the conviction.

E.  Effect of pardon or annulment.  When a pardon or annulment, based upon a finding of innocence, has been granted, evidence of that conviction is not admissible to attack the credibility of the witness.

F.  Juvenile adjudications. Evidence of juvenile  adjudications of delinquency is generally not admissible under this Article, except for use in proceedings brought pursuant to the habitual offender law, R.S. 15:529.1.

Acts 1988, No. 515, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 1989; Acts 1994, 3rd Ex. Sess., No. 23, §3.