In the Case of State V

Essay

In the case of State v. Jackson, police caught appellant Jackson and his co-defendant selling bogus music compact discs from a table they had set up on the sidewalk. He had been arrested for similar conduct at a prior time. The prior arrest involving compact discs was for selling without a vendor's license and he argued that that offense should not have been mentioned in his second trial because it was unfairly prejudicial. Why did the appellate court agree that the prior offense could be admitted at the trial for selling bogus compact discs? How is it fair to try a person for one crime and let the jury know he or she has a prior criminal record?