Rule 609(a) limits the use of prior convictions to impeach witnesses to crimes punishable by death or imprisonment in excess of 1 year, based on the court's determination that the probative value of admitting this evidence outweighs its prejudicial effect to the defendant. The rule also permits admitting evidence of a witness' prior conviction that involved dishonesty or false statement, regardless of the punishment. The analysis of this section of the rule covers criteria used in the discretionary balancing of the probative and prejudicial aspects of prior conviction evidence. This includes a review of relevant court decisions in Luck v. United States, Gordon v. United States, and United States v. Fountain. The study then reviews which crimes courts have interpreted to involve dishonesty and false statements, thus having a direct relevance to the witnesses' propensity for deceptive behaviors. The study's final section interprets Rule 609(b), which governs admissibility of a prior conviction when more than 10 years have elapsed since the conviction date or the witnesses' release from confinement, whichever is the later date. Twenty-eight footnotes are provided.