Court Opinion

ID: 9660865
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-23 22:22:54.880351+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:14:22.915114
License: Public Domain

SABERS, Justice
(concurring specially).
I write specially to point out my agreement with the ruling of admissibility of the three prior acts once it was clear that the real issue was whether McDonald knew the packet contained cocaine. This differs from the situation in Werner, which is relied upon by the majority opinion. See State v. Champagne, 422 N.W.2d 840, 844-46 (S.D.1988) (Sabers, J., dissenting) regarding knowledge and intent. Unlike the situation in Champagne, knowledge or intent was a material issue in this case.
I agree with Justice Henderson’s writing on the third-party perpetrator rule. In my view, no one can seriously argue that McDonald’s defense that she did not know the packet contained cocaine is somehow prohibited by the third-party perpetrator rule. If Luna supports that claim or argument, it should be overruled. One accused of a crime in South Dakota should be allowed her day in court and permitted to ask the jury to hear her story and decide her guilt or innocence. Her hands should not be tied behind her back.
In retrospect, it seems ironic that an accused in South Dakota should be forced to fight for their life to defend themselves against all other “uncharged” acts and, at the same time, be prevented from showing that they did not commit the crime “charged” because someone else did. We should strive to maintain a more even playing field in the future.