When taking a felony case to court, do prior convictions come into play?
Get Legal Help Today
Compare Quotes From Top Companies and Save
Secured with SHA-256 Encryption
When taking a felony case to court, do prior convictions come into play?
Can they use them against you in this particular case? The case is for possession without a prescription.
Asked on August 5, 2013 under Criminal Law, Florida
Answers:
S.L,. Member, California Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 11 years ago | Contributor
Prior convictions may be used against you if they are related or similar to the current charges against you. Proximity in time is another factor to consider with regard to the use of prior convictions. If prior convictions occurred many years ago, the judge may exclude them as being too prejudicial in the current case. If your attorney brings up the issue of prior convictions in court, the prosecution can then proceed with that issue. The prosecution cannot open the door (raise that issue) without it having been initially raised by your defense attorney.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: The Answer(s) provided above are for general information only. The attorney providing the answer was not serving as the attorney for the person submitting the question or in any attorney-client relationship with such person. Laws may vary from state to state, and sometimes change. Tiny variations in the facts, or a fact not set forth in a question, often can change a legal outcome or an attorney's conclusion. Although AttorneyPages.com has verified the attorney was admitted to practice law in at least one jurisdiction, he or she may not be authorized to practice law in the jurisdiction referred to in the question, nor is he or she necessarily experienced in the area of the law involved. Unlike the information in the Answer(s) above, upon which you should NOT rely, for personal advice you can rely upon we suggest you retain an attorney to represent you.