had considered that the word "may" in the above statute (the word also appears in the Missouri statute) conferred discretionary power on the court to admit or exclude the evidence of prior convictions. The Supreme Court of New Jersey, after reviewing the history of the Act, held that the statute conferred an absolute option to show a prior conviction, saying, 228 A.2d l.c. 684: "In the context `may' connotes an authorization, a grant of permission to the parties to civil or criminal actions to show the witness's previous criminal conviction by testimonial examination or by production of the record. Plainly the option was intended to be given to the State and the defendant in a criminal case, and the plaintiff and defendant in a civil case. No time   After getting in the car, Wade drove south on King Street. Powell followed her in the

unmarked “standard civilian” truck he was using. At the next intersection, Wade stopped at a traffic

light. When the light turned green, Wade “sat there for quite a while” before turning right onto

Loudoun Street. Powell observed that Wade was driving “very erratically,” crossing the center lane

of traffic and “weaving back and forth.” Powell notified the Leesburg police that he needed a

“Leesburg Unit” to respond. Wade, who had been heading away from the downtown area, then

turned right onto Ayr Street. Reaching the intersection of Ayr and Market Streets, Wade ran a stop

sign and headed east on Market Street back toward the downtown area. In front of the entrance to

the old hospital, Wade’s