Opinion
March 17, 1992
Appeal from the Supreme Court, New York County (Herbert I. Altman, J.).
We find that the court's ruling that the People could ask defendant only whether he had ever been convicted of a felony, without eliciting the facts underlying the prior conviction or the nature of the crime, was a sound exercise of discretion that balanced the various considerations to be taken into account under People v Sandoval ( 34 N.Y.2d 371). We note, moreover, that it was defendant himself, on direct examination, who testified as to the nature of his prior felony conviction and that the People made no inquiry regarding the conviction on cross-examination.
Concur — Sullivan, J.P., Rosenberger, Ellerin, Asch and Rubin, JJ.