Split state Court of Appeals reverses drug-selling conviction, with disagreement over rules of using prior crimes as evidence | amNewYork

"The high court found that the two incidents were dissimilar. The 2017 incident involved individual drug possession with intent in Henderson's personal vehicle, while the 2019 incident involved allegedly joint possession in an apartment where four other people were staying."

"Because the People's evidence of a prior incident involving defendant's possession of drugs was not logically connected to any specific material issue in this drug possession case, apart from defendant's propensity for possessing drugs, the trial court erred in admitting that evidence."

The New York Court of Appeals overturned a drug selling conviction of Lashawn Miller Henderson, determining that a prior drug-related conviction was unfairly used against him. The court found that the previous incident, involving individual drug possession, was not logically connected to the current case of alleged joint possession in an apartment. The majority opinion stated that the trial court erred in admitting evidence of the prior conviction, as it did not pertain to any specific material issue in the current case.

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