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Credibility Impeachment By Prior Conviction, Timothy V. Barnhar

Missouri Law Review

The adversary system of adjudication is one of the major cornerstones of the Anglo-American system of justice. One of the most striking characteristics of this adversary system is the right of counsel to impeach the credibility of the opponent's witnesses. The purpose of this is to suggest to the trier of fact that the witness's testimony is not worthy of belief. Exposing a witness's prior convictions of offenses against society is one of the most commonly used methods of impeachment. Such a practice is specifically authorized in Missouri by a statute which provides: Any person who has been convicted of …