Opinion ID: 900247
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Errors Affecting Substantial Rights

Text: [¶ 20.] Having determined that the court committed plain error in both its instructions to the jury and in the number of jurors allowed to deliberate, we must decide whether these errors affected substantial rights. Each of these errors, standing alone, might not be sufficient to meet the third prong of the Olano standard. Olano, 507 U.S. at 737-741, 113 S.Ct. at 1779-81. Together, however, they prejudiced the defendant's rights and undermined the fairness, integrity, or public reputation of judicial proceedings. Atkinson, 297 U.S. at 160, 56 S.Ct. at 392; see generally Johnson, 842 P.2d at 1289-90. Holding to the notion that the plain error rule must be applied only in exceptional circumstances, Henjum, 1996 SD 7, ¶ 14, 542 N.W.2d at 763, we nonetheless think this case calls for us to exercise prudent discretion to ensure stability and conformity in the trial process. In Eagle Star, we said that trial courts must read all the instructions at the end of the case. It would have taken the court but a few minutes to read them all, and it would have been a simple matter to discharge the thirteenth juror. We take heed from the Arizona experience. By repeatedly concluding that disregard of fundamental trial procedures constituted harmless error, the Arizona Supreme Court only seemed to encourage continued errant procedure. Eventually, it led to reversal in two major cases. When justice is our goal, the truest means of knowing whether a judgment is reliable is our faithful adherence to process. [¶ 21.] Reversed and remanded for a new trial. [¶ 22.] MILLER, Chief Justice, and SABERS, AMUNDSON, and GILBERTSON, Justices, concur.