56 N.Y.2d 269 (1982)

A trial court has discretion to allow a prosecutor to impeach a defendant’s credibility by using evidence of prior conduct that demonstrates a willingness to prioritize self-interest over principle, even if the conduct is not explicitly criminal, vicious, or immoral.

Summary

Alfred Coleman was convicted of criminal possession of stolen property. During the trial, the prosecution impeached Coleman’s credibility by introducing pamphlets he had published advocating sales tax evasion and cheating the telephone company. Coleman argued this was improper impeachment. The New York Court of Appeals upheld the conviction, holding that the trial court did not err in allowing the prosecutor to use the pamphlets to impeach Coleman’s credibility because the content demonstrated a willingness to place self-interest above societal interests. The court emphasized the trial judge’s limiting instruction regarding the evidence’s use.

Facts

Coleman was accused of possessing a stolen generator found attached to a railway car he was restoring. The generator had been recently painted, and its identification plate removed. A search of the railway car revealed a can of red paint and the missing identification plate. At trial, Coleman claimed he had no knowledge of the theft, stating the generator simply