Opinion ID: 900855
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Continuing Course of Criminal Conduct.

Text: [¶ 41.] Alternatively, the trial court misapplied Rule 404(b) because it failed to consider the admissibility of the injunction and contempt citation to prove an obvious plan to engage in a continuing course of criminal conduct. Had the trial court considered that purpose, Jones' affidavit and her prior legal history made the injunction and contempt citation admissible in the state's case-in-chief to prove Jones' plan to engage in a continuing midwifery practice without a license. [¶ 42.] Jones' pre-trial affidavit indicates that since 1984, she has attended over 400 births and continues to do so to the date the affidavit was submitted in this case. In 1997, Jones filed a similar affidavit claiming attendance at 150 births. Jones, 1997 SD 78, ¶ 18, n. 6, 566 N.W.2d at 147, n. 6. Given Jones' proclamation of a larger continuing plan to practice without a license, and given the fact that the present alleged crime is a part of that continuing course of criminal conduct, the prior acts are admissible in the state's case-in-chief. Steichen, 1998 SD 126, ¶ 25, 588 N.W.2d at 876. Applying the test we used in Steichen: if one compar[es] the crimes for which [Jones] is charged with the other-acts evidence[, it] demonstrates [that] the crimes charged are a continuation of [Jones'] criminal conduct, and therefore, the other-acts are properly admitted to show the continuing course of criminal conduct. Id. [¶ 43.] The trial court's opinion does not reflect that it considered Jones' continuing criminal conduct or the applicable exception to the preference stated in Steichen and Werner. Had the trial court considered those matters, the injunction and contempt citation were not only relevant to refute Jones' declared defense, but also to prove her plan to engage in a continuing course of criminal conduct. Therefore, the trial court erred in its application of Rule 404(b), and it abused its discretion on Issue 1. Guthrie, 2001 SD 61, ¶ 30, 627 N.W.2d at 414-415.