Opinion ID: 1905969
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: issues

Text: Of the remaining issues raised by defendant, we need only consider the question of the chain of custody because it, of necessity, will arise at the new trial. The testimony indicated that the police officer who transported the defendant to the jail in Madison following the search and arrest, also transported all items seized under the warrant. The items, before they were transported, were placed in sealed plastic bags with evidence tags attached. The items were placed in the back seat of the police car. For a period of about five minutes, while the officer took the defendant into the jail, the items were left unattended. One of the police car doors may have been unlocked. When the officer returned to the car, he noted that the evidence was in the same position and the same condition as when he left it. There is some question as to whether defendant's failure to make a timely objection at trial waives his right to raise this issue on appeal. Even if defendant could be considered to have preserved this issue, the decision to admit the evidence was proper. Where relatively indistinguishable items are offered into evidence, a chain of custody must be shown with sufficient completeness to render it improbable that the original item has been altered or tampered with. State v. Herman, 1977, S.D., 253 N.W.2d 454. The requirement of the chain of custody is to insure that the real evidence offered is that which was seized and that it has not been substantially changed, altered, contaminated or substituted. The trial judge must examine the circumstances surrounding the preservation and custody to determine whether, in all reasonable probability, the item offered is the item seized and is substantially unchanged. The state need not negate every possibility of tampering or substitution, but rather show with reasonable probability that no tampering or substitution has occurred. State v. Christmas, 1968, 83 S.D. 506, 162 N.W.2d 125; State v. Herman, supra; State v. Serl, S.D., 269 N.W.2d 785. The evidence here supports the conclusion that it was reasonably probable that the real evidence offered was that which was seized and that it was substantially unchanged.