Court Opinion

ID: 9666747
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-24 01:26:51.10971+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:15:32.528623
License: Public Domain

HENDERSON, Justice
(concurring in result).
When is a “signal,” as reflected from The Bluehook: A Uniform System of Citation (15th ed.1991), a “true signal?” Please observe the majority’s footnote pertaining to State v. Jenner, 451 N.W.2d 710 (S.D.1990), with the signal “Compare.” And then, immediately following, a detailed explanation of a dissent in Jenner, which was joined by Justice Sabers, who is now the author of this opinion. In my opinion, the footnote unfairly highlights that which has been rejected as the law of this state. It appears that such highlighting is to preserve a supposed vitality in this Court, but vitality it has not.
When Jenner was written by this author, our Court was not unmindful of the plenary (de novo) review rule in the federal courts. Historically, South Dakota has not adopted this rule nor should we now. We do not perceive now, nor have we in the past, that the fifty sovereign states have been mandated to follow the plenary review rule. Miller v. Fenton, 474 U.S. 104, 106 S.Ct. 445, 88 L.Ed.2d 405 (1985).
Specifically, in response to Justice Morgan’s dissent (joined by Justice Sabers) on the plenary rule, the stare decisis in this Court reveals that our standard of review regarding voluntariness of confessions is well established, as set out in the following eases:
State v. Albright, 418 N.W.2d 292 (S.D.1988) (authored by Justice Miller, joined by Justices Morgan and Henderson, with Chief Justice Wuest concurring in result, and Justice Sabers concurring on volun-tariness but concurring in result because of a search warrant issue).
State v. Gregg, 405 N.W.2d 49 (S.D.1987) (authored by Justice Sabers, on reassignment, joined by Chief Justice Wuest and Justice Henderson, with Justice Morgan concurring on the suppression issue, and former Chief Justice Fosheim dissenting on a different issue).
State v. Faehnrich, 359 N.W.2d 895 (S.D.1984) (a unanimous opinion authored by Justice Henderson, joined by then Chief Justice Fosheim, Justices Wollman and Morgan, and then Acting Justice Wuest). State v. Headrick, 357 N.W.2d 268 (S.D.1984) (a unanimous opinion by then Acting Justice Wuest, joined by then Chief Justice Fosheim and Justices Wollman, Morgan and Henderson).
State v. Janis, 356 N.W.2d 916 (S.D.1984) (authored by then Chief Justice Fosheim, *607joined by Justices Morgan and Henderson, and Retired Justice Dunn, with Justice Wollman dissenting, on application of the facts to the clearly erroneous rule).
State v. Caffrey, 382 N.W.2d 269 (S.D.1983) (authored by Justice Wollman, joined by Justices Morgan and Henderson, with Justices Fosheim and Dunn concurring in result).
State v. Cowell, 288 N.W.2d 322 (S.D.1980) (a unanimous opinion authored by Justice Fosheim, joined by then Chief Justice Wollman and Justices Dunn, Morgan and Henderson).
State v. DuBois, 286 N.W.2d 801 (S.D.1979) (a unanimous opinion authored by Circuit Judge Dobberpuhl, sitting for Justice Henderson who was disqualified, joined by then Chief Justice Wollman, and Justices Dunn, Morgan and Fosheim). State v. Lyons, 269 N.W.2d 124 (S.D.1978) (a unanimous opinion written by Circuit Judge Jones, sitting for disqualified Justice Zastrow, joined by then Chief Justice Wollman, and Justices Dunn, Porter and Morgan).
A finding by the trial court that a confession or incriminating statement was beyond a reasonable doubt voluntarily made is binding upon this Court, unless we conclude our review of the record that the finding is clearly erroneous. State v. Hall, 353 N.W.2d 37 (S.D.1984), written for this Court- by Justice Morgan.
You may rub it or scrub it, but the result is the same: In this Court, the scope of review is clearly erroneous.
Our decision in Jenner was upheld by the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals. Jenner v. Smith, 982 F.2d 329 (8th Cir.1993), cert. denied, - U.S. -, 114 S.Ct. 81, 126 L.Ed.2d 49 (1993). As the citation reveals, the United States Supreme Court denied a writ of certiorari thereon.