State v. Dawkins

In State v. Dawkins, 42 Conn. App. 810, 681 A.2d 989 (Conn. App. Ct. 1996), the Appellate Court of Connecticut elucidated: Two general categories of prior convictions are admissible for impeachment. "First are those crimes that by their very nature indicate dishonesty or tendency to make false statement. . . . The second category involves convictions for crimes that do not reflect directly on the credibility of one who has been convicted of them." It is recognized in Connecticut courts "that crimes involving larcenous intent imply a general disposition toward dishonesty such that they also fall within this first category. . . . Convictions of this sort obviously bear heavily on the credibility of one who has been convicted of them. The probative value of such convictions, therefore, may often outweigh any prejudice engendered by their admission." The prior convictions at issue here fall within the first category. Each involved a prior conviction for larceny. Id. at 994.