Court Opinion

ID: 9705992
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-26 01:29:19.865774+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T15:26:35.271845
License: Public Domain

ZASTROW, Justice
(dissenting).
“It is the duty of the State to present relevant and material facts to the jury to stimulate their mental processes so that they might thereby arrive at the guilt or innocence of the accused. But to introduce evidence only for the purpose of arousing the passions and prejudices of the jury, in such a manner as to cause them to abandon any serious consideration of the facts of the case and give expression only to their emotions, is clearly outside the scope of such duty and a violation of an accused’s right to a fair trial.
“It is a part of our American heritage that every defendant, regardless of what he may be accused, and no matter what the public feeling may be against him, is entitled to a fair trial, with the introduction against him only of evidence.which is sanctioned by established law.” Kiefer v. State, 1958, 239 Ind. 103, 153 N.E.2d 899.
The use of photographs of a deceased victim is subject to two tests for admissibility. First, it must be relevant to prove a material fact at issue in the trial. State v. Hamm, 1975, S.D., 234 N.W.2d 60; State v. Miller, 1976, S.D., 248 N.W.2d 56; State v. Zemina, 1973, 87 S.D. 291, 206 N.W.2d 819; State v. Aschmeller, 1973, 87 S.D. 367, 209 N.W.2d 369; State v. Austin, 1969, 84 S.D. 405, 172 N.W.2d 284; State v. Zobel, 1965, 81 S.D. 260, 134 N.W.2d 101.
The majority finds the photograph of the charred body of the child of “some possible value” in determining the cause of death, apparently to disprove death by gunshot. Even if one assumes that a defendant’s plea of not guilty places all matters, including cause of death, in issue, I question this photograph’s relevance on that issue. This unfortunate victim could well have been shot several times, and an examination of the photograph would not reveal their existence.
Next, the majority finds the photograph “consistent ” with a very hot fire. I cannot see this photograph as being relevant to show that it was a “very hot fire,” a “hot fire,” or a “cold fire.” The photographs of the room were certainly relevant to show that the burn pattern indicated a deliberately set fire. However, the photograph of the body on the autopsy table taken the next day would certainly not be relevant to proving whether the fire was deliberately set or not.
Accepting, for the sake of discussion, that the photograph was relevant to prove either or both of the issues, there is a second test which must be applied to determine the admissibility of gruesome and inflammatory photographs, i. e., “the probative value [must outweigh] the probable prejudicial effect. Accordingly, photographs should be excluded where their logical relevancy will unquestionably be overwhelmed by the inherently prejudicial nature of the particular picture; and photographs which are calculated to arouse the sympathies or prejudices of the jury are properly excluded if they are entirely irrelevant or not substantially necessary to show material facts or conditions.” 23 C.J.S. Criminal Law § 852(1)c; 40 Am.Jur.2d, Homicide, § 419; Annot., 73 A.L.R.2d 769.
*256There appears to be little question that the slide photograph is gruesome, shocking, and would tend to arouse the passion and prejudice of the jury. . The trial court was very aware of the gruesome nature of the slide, since it purposely restricted the jury’s viewing of the slide to a “few moments.” Then it went even further and would not allow the jury to take this “relevant” exhibit to the jury room. Certainly, if the slide is relevant to show the cause of death or that the fire was deliberately set, it must be viewed longer than a few moments. It certainly was not the intent of this writer in State v. Miller, supra, to suggest that any gruesome photograph would be admissible so long as the viewing time was short. One can imagine that the impact upon a juror might be magnified by a short, onetime glimpse of this slide.
Although there are cases which have held the error in admitting gruesome photographs not to have been prejudicial where the evidence of guilt is overwhelming, this does not appear to have been such a case. It was based upon circumstantial evidence and it might have been decided differently. Because I cannot say with any certainty that this photograph would not have been the influencing factor, I would reverse and remand the case for a new trial.