Opinion ID: 900409
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 8

Heading: Failure to Object to Codefendants' Guilty Pleas

Text: [¶ 22.] New contends that Molstad failed to object to the admission of the guilty pleas of Black Bear and White Horse. The habeas court, however, found that Molstad's actions constituted reasonable trial strategy. In Boykin v. Leapley, 471 N.W.2d 165, 168 (S.D.1991) we wrote: Generally, a conviction of another involved in the same criminal enterprise is not admissible for the purpose of establishing guilt. (citing State v. Brown, 285 N.W.2d 848 (S.D.1979); State v. Bachelor, 67 S.D. 259, 291 N.W. 738 (S.D.1940)). It can be used, nevertheless, for impeachment purposes. See SDCL 19-16-26. Impeaching the credibility of both White Horse and Black Bear, at least to a certain extent, was valid trial strategy; therefore, it was reasonable for Molstad to not object to this evidence. Had Molstad objected to the evidence and if the trial court had held it inadmissible, Molstad's trial strategy would have been compromised. Molstad wanted the jury to infer New's innocence by implicating White Horse and Black Bear as partners in Mousseaux's death. By objecting to the admission of the guilty pleas, Molstad would have lost evidence he needed to show both White Horse's and Black Bear's involvement in the murder. Further, New again fails to establish how the outcome of his trial would probably have been different had the objections been made.