How have the courts treated prior felony convictions in the context of cross-examination?

3 Appellant's testimony on the prior felony convictions was presented at the outset of his direct examination in an obvious effort to lessen the sting of prosecutorial inquiry about the convictions during cross-examination. Defense counsel elicited the fact that appellant had pled guilty to these two prior convictions and that appellant was "fighting this case" because he was not guilty. Defense counsel emphasized this point during his argument to the jury.

4 See Boykin v. Alabama (1969) 395 U.S. 238, 89 S.Ct. 1709, 23 L.Ed.2d 274.