Title: State v. Stensaker
Citation: 2016 ND 27
Docket Number: 
State: north-dakota
Issuer: north-dakota Supreme Court
Date: February 18, 2016

State v. Stensaker Annotate this Case Court Description: Murder conviction and two counts of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon summarily affirmed under N.D.R.App.P. 35.1(a)(3); case remanded to fix clerical error in judgment. IN THE SUPREME COURT STATE OF NORTH DAKOTA 2016 ND 27 State of North Dakota, Plaintiff and Appellee v. Ryan Lee Stensaker, Defendant and Appellant Nos. 20150164 & 20150165 Appeal from the District Court of Williams County, Northwest Judicial District, the Honorable David W. Nelson, Judge. AFFIRMED AND REMANDED. Per Curiam. Nathan K. Madden, Assistant State's Attorney, Williams County State's Attorney Office, P.O. Box 2047, Williston, ND 58802, for plaintiff and appellee. Mark T. Blumer, P.O. Box 7340, Fargo, ND 58106, for defendant and appellant. State v. StensakerNos. 20150164 & 20150165 Per Curiam. [¶1] Ryan Stensaker appeals after a jury found him guilty of murder and two counts of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. He argues the evidence presented at trial is insufficient to sustain the guilty verdicts; he asserts his convictions were improper because they were based entirely on circumstantial evidence. "A conviction may be justified on circumstantial evidence alone if the circumstantial evidence has such probative force as to enable the trier of fact to find the defendant guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. A verdict based on circumstantial evidence carries the same presumption of correctness as other verdicts." State v. Nakvinda, 2011 ND 217, ¶ 17, 807 N.W.2d 204 (citation omitted) (upholding murder conviction). See also State v. Olson, 290 N.W.2d 664 , 670-71 (N.D. 1980) (circumstantial evidence alone may justify a conviction; murder conviction upheld). We summarily affirm the conviction under N.D.R.App.P. 35.1(a)(3), and we remand the case to correct a clerical error. The judgment improperly states Stensaker was convicted of conspiracy to commit murder. [¶2] Gerald W. VandeWalle, C.J. Carol Ronning Kapsner Lisa Fair McEvers Daniel J. Crothers Dale V. Sandstrom