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Question
Cal is charged in federal court with possessing a firearm after having been convicted of a felony. The prosecution must prove that Cal had a qualifying prior felony conviction. Cal offers to stipulate that, before the charged firearm possession, he had been convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year in prison. The prosecution instead wants to introduce a certified judgment showing that Cal's prior felony was aggravated assault with a handgun.
The prosecution argues that jurors are entitled to hear the full story and that a certified judgment is direct proof of the element. Cal argues that the name and details of the prior conviction add little once status is conceded and create a risk that jurors will think he has a violent gun propensity.
Analyze relevance and Rule 403. How should the court handle the prior-conviction evidence?