Ohler v. United States
United States Supreme Court
529 U.S 753 (2000)
After the district court ruled that Ohler's (defendant's) prior methamphetamine conviction would be admissible under Federal Rule of Evidence 609 if she testified, Ohler chose to disclose the conviction herself during her own direct examination rather than waiting for the prosecution to raise it on cross-examination. She was convicted and, on appeal, challenged the district court's in limine ruling that the conviction would have been admissible; the Ninth Circuit affirmed, and the Supreme Court granted certiorari.
Whether a defendant who preemptively introduces evidence of a prior conviction on direct examination may claim on appeal that the trial court's ruling permitting admission of that evidence was error.