Court Opinion

ID: 9580221
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-21 22:03:16.868432+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T13:36:08.929542
License: Public Domain

WUEST, Justice
(concurring in result).
The grounds for dismissal of an indictment or information on motion are contained in SDCL 28A-8-2.* These are the exclusive grounds for dismissal. State v. Hoekstra, 286 N.W.2d 127, 128 (S.D.1979). The trial court, in its order of dismissal, did not cite the statute or state the specific ground for dismissal. It appears, however, that the court agreed with Bale’s argument “that the statutory authority and factual background do not constitute a crime” as was alleged in the information charging Bale with third-degree rape (incest). Thus, the court apparently considered the facts of the case in making its decision to dismiss. We have held that “the trial court cannot inquire into the legality or sufficiency of the evidence upon which an indictment is based when considering a dismissal under SDCL 23A-8-2.” State v. Schladweiler, 436 N.W.2d 851, 854 (S.D.1989) (citing Hoekstra, 286 N.W.2d at 127). We have explained the reason for this rule:
[The U.S. Supreme Court has] held that neither the Fifth Amendment nor justice and the concept of a fair trial requires indictments to be open to challenge on the ground that there was inadequate or incompetent evidence before the grand jury. If indictments were held open to challenge on such grounds, interminable delay could result. The result of such a rule, said the Court, would be that before a trial on the merits, a defendant could insist on a preliminary trial to determine the competency and adequacy of the evidence before the grand jury, something not required by the Fifth Amendment. An indictment returned by a legally constituted and unbiased grand jury, like an information drawn by the prosecutor, if valid on its face, is enough to call for trial of the charge on the merits.
Hoekstra, 286 N.W.2d at 128 (citing Costello v. United States, 350 U.S. 359, 76 S.Ct. 406, 100 L.Ed. 397 (1956) (emphasis added)).
The record shows that when Bale filed the motion for dismissal, no statute was cited as the basis for that motion. The motion was accompanied by a lengthy brief, discussing the facts and legal issues surrounding consanguinity, affinity, and adoption. The State filed a memorandum of law in opposition to Bale’s motion to dismiss the information, but did not cite SDCL 23A-8-2, or allege that the trial court was without authority to dismiss. Rather, the State replied to Bale’s legal arguments regarding the facts and applicability of the statutes under which Bale was charged, i.e., issues of parent and child relationships, consanguinity, affinity, and the like. Thus, at no time prior to this appeal was the trial court’s authority to dismiss challenged. Because of the State’s failure to make this challenge at the lower court level, thereby allowing the trial judge to rule on this issue, it is deemed waived. Hepper v. Triple U Enter., Inc., 388 N.W.2d 525, 527 n. *1683 (S.D.1986) (refusing to rule on an issue that was not specifically presented to the trial court); Johnson v. John Deere Co., 306 N.W.2d 231, 239 (S.D.1981) (“Objections must be made to the trial court to allow it to correct its mistakes.”)- Had this issue been raised before the trial court, I would vote to reverse. Under these circumstances, however, I concur in the result.

SDCL 23A-8-2 (1988). The statute provides in pertinent part:
Upon motion of a defendant made pursuant to subdivision (1), (2) or (3) of § 23A-8-3, the court must dismiss an indictment or information in any of the following cases:
(1) When it is not found, endorsed, and presented or filed as prescribed by this title;
(2) When the names of the witnesses are not inserted at the foot of the indictment or information or endorsed thereon;
(3) When it does not substantially conform to the requirements of this title;
(4) When more than one offense is charged in a single count;
(5) When it does not describe a public offense;
(6) When it contains matter which, if true, would constitute a legal justification or excuse of the offense charged, or other bar to the prosecution;
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(9) When a defendant charged by information did not have or waive a preliminary hearing before the information was filed.

Id.