Opinion ID: 1594360
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 15

Heading: Life Sentence.

Text: Lohnes claims that his sentence of life imprisonment for manslaughter is so harsh it constitutes cruel and unusual punishment. In State v. Weiker, 366 N.W.2d 823 (S.D.1985), this court stated that a sentence must shock the conscience or be totally disproportionate to the crime in order to activate the protections of the Eighth Amendment. Lohnes cites to his complete cooperation with law enforcement officials and the court in support of his claim that his sentence shocks the conscience. He also claims that the sentence is disproportionate to the crime in view of other sentences for first-degree manslaughter in other circuits throughout this state. The sentence involved in this case is within the statutory maximum, thus the general question for this court on review is whether the trial judge abused his discretion. State v. Phipps, 318 N.W.2d 128 (S.D.1982). The trial judge must consider the unique circumstances of each case in imposing a sentence, thus a comparison of other sentences for the same crime is not necessarily indicative that the sentence is disproportionate to the crime. In view of the crime and Lohnes' lack of remorse following the crime, this sentence does not shock the conscience and is not totally disproportionate to the crime. The sentence does not violate the Eighth Amendment to the United States Constitution. AFFIRMED. MORGAN and HENDERSON, JJ., concur. WUEST, C.J., and MILLER, J., concur in part and concur in result in part.