Luce v. United States
United States Supreme Court
469 U.S. 38 (1984)
Relevant factsFree
Luce (defendant), charged with cocaine possession, filed a motion in limine seeking to exclude potential impeachment evidence of a prior drug conviction if he testified, without committing to testify or proffering what his testimony would cover; the district court denied the motion, finding the prior conviction admissible impeachment evidence under Federal Rule of Evidence 609(a)(1), and Luce chose not to testify at trial, was convicted, and the Sixth Circuit affirmed, prompting the Supreme Court's grant of certiorari.
IssueFree
Whether a defendant must testify at trial to preserve his right of review of a trial court's denial of his motion to exclude the use of evidence of a prior conviction.