Opinion ID: 1979855
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: action/facts

Text: This is a criminal appeal arising from an Amended Judgment of Conviction which sentenced Richard A. Traversie (Traversie), appellant-defendant herein, to 35 years' imprisonment for First-Degree Burglary, Petty Theft, and being an Habitual Offender. We affirm. On the evening of November 15, 1984, a trailer house was burglarized in Pierre, South Dakota, and a radio-cassette player and tapes were taken. About 9:30 that same evening, this radio-cassette player was seen in Traversie's possession at a drinking party which eventually lasted two days. When the cups were empty  when the party ran dry  Traversie persuaded three of the imbibers to hock his radio to obtain more spirits. The radio-cassette player sold for $6.00 which was thereafter exchanged for a pack of cigarettes and a half-gallon of wine. On December 6, 1984, while in jail on other charges, Traversie was served a Warrant of Arrest for First-Degree Burglary and Petty Theft. A preliminary hearing was conducted on December 11, 1984, and Traversie was bound over for trial. On December 17, 1984, a Part II Information for Habitual Offender was also filed. A hearing was held on December 21, 1984. At this hearing, Traversie's burglary and petty theft trial was set for March 20, 1985. This date was selected because Traversie had two misdemeanor offenses to be tried to separate jury panels and only two panels had been called for the first two months in 1985. Traversie's burglary and petty theft trial had to therefore wait until March for a new jury panel. Traversie's burglary and petty theft trial was not held in March because the trial court granted Traversie's motion to appoint a fingerprint expert at county expense. Trial was then set for May 2, 1985. On the day prior to trial, the State, upon oral motion and after a hearing thereon, was granted a two-week continuance. It appears that the resident of the burglarized trailer house and Traversie's girl friend could not be located whereupon the State requested a continuance so as to locate these witnesses. A jury found Traversie guilty as charged on May 15, 1985. Thereafter, and based on Traversie's admissions to the Habitual Offender Information, the trial court determined Traversie was an habitual offender and sentenced him to 35 years' imprisonment in the South Dakota State Penitentiary and a concurrent term of 10 days in the county jail. From this Amended Judgment of Conviction, Traversie now appeals alleging a host of errors. We appreciate a 35-year prison sentence is sever and we address each allegation of error seriatim.