Opinion ID: 2183938
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Witnesses Added to Information.

Text: A further contention of the defendant is that the court erred in allowing additional witnesses to be added to the information at the time of trial. The witnesses in this case were not known by name at the time the information was filed, but the state did know where they worked and it revealed this information. Thereafter, on the first day of the trial, the names were added. The defense did not contend that it was surprised or prejudiced by the additions nor did it seek a continuance for further preparation. This court has held that a trial court can, in the exercise of sound judicial discretion, allow the addition of names to an information at the time of trial even when the names are known at the filing of the information but through inadvertence omitted, unless there is a showing of abuse or some bad faith    in purposely withholding the name    resulting in substantial prejudice to the accused  . State v. Rober, 1972, 86 S.D. 442, 197 N.W.2d 707. Here the names were not known and there was no abuse, bad faith, or substantial prejudice to the accused. State v. Frazer, 1909, 23 S.D. 304, 121 N.W. 790, cited by defendant, is not helpful to him. That case makes it clear that the defendant must demonstrate that the state actually knew the names of the witnesses before he can take advantage of the statute. Here there was no such demonstration. Furthermore, we might add that whatever force this case might have had previously is certainly seriously undermined by the holding of State v. Rober, supra , i. e., even if the demonstration of knowledge by the state called for in Frazer were made, the court would still demand a showing of the factors mentioned in Rober before it would disallow the addition of names to an information.