Opinion
836.
April 17, 2003.
Judgment, Supreme Court, New York County (Arlene Silverman, J.), rendered December 7, 2000, convicting defendant, after a jury trial, of robbery in the first degree, and sentencing him, as a second violent felony offender, to a term of 14 years, unanimously affirmed.
Christopher Wilson, for respondent.
Robert L. Moore, for defendant-appellant.
Before: MAZZARELLI, J.P., ANDRIAS, FRIEDMAN, MARLOW, GONZALEZ, JJ.
The court's Sandoval ruling balanced the appropriate factors and was a proper exercise of discretion (see People v. Hayes, 97 N.Y.2d 203; People v. Walker, 83 N.Y.2d 455, 458-459). Defendant's prior convictions were highly probative with regard to his credibility, and the court minimized any prejudice by directing that defendant's prior first-degree robbery conviction be elicited only as an unspecified felony.
The prosecutor was properly permitted to inquire into defendant's parole status and a prior theft allegation against him, since defendant opened the door to such questioning (see People v. Mendez, 221 A.D.2d 162,lv denied 87 N.Y.2d 923; People v. Cain, 207 A.D.2d 720, lv denied 84 N.Y.2d 933).
THIS CONSTITUTES THE DECISION AND ORDER OF THE SUPREME COURT, APPELLATE DIVISION, FIRST DEPARTMENT.