Hofstra Law Review
Abstract
Due to a recent ruling by the New York Court of Appeals in People v. Sandoval, an ex-offender facing criminal charges has a better chance of receiving a fair trial. The court established a firm policy of encouraging pre-trial hearings to limit the prosecution's freedom to impeach a defendant's credibility through crossexamination concerning his "prior specific criminal, vicious or immoral acts." Additionally, the court established a frame of reference within which trial courts should exercise discretion in determining what evidence of misbehavior should be admitted for the sake of impeaching credibility. A defendant's decision to testify or not is thus made on a more informed basis.
Recommended Citation
Abrahams, Robert M.
(1975)
"People v. Sandoval,"
Hofstra Law Review: Vol. 3:
Iss.
1, Article 8.
Available at:
https://scholarlycommons.law.hofstra.edu/hlr/vol3/iss1/8