Court Opinion

ID: 9661265
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-23 22:34:01.965982+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:14:26.869900
License: Public Domain

SAND, Justice
(concurring specially).
Even though I agree with and signed the opinion of Chief Justice Erickstad, nevertheless, because of the time element involved here, over ten years since the conviction from which no appeal has been taken, I am compelled to make a few additional observations.
Under the Uniform Post-Conviction Act, § 29-32-03, NDCC, “an application may be filed at any time.” This provision seems to allow the filing of an application without regard to the time that may have elapsed since the conviction.
It is a known fact that time dims, if not completely obscures, memories and, in addition, death may make certain testimony unavailable.
Where the disposition of the issue rests upon oral testimony as distinguished from evidence in the record, the law should require that such issues (applications) be raised within a reasonable period of time or require the giving of compelling reasons why the question could not have been raised earlier.
I further believe that the burden of establishing the facts upon which relief is requested rests upon the petitioner, and mere unsupported, self-serving sworn statements or allegations do not meet this burden.
The trier of fact has the responsibility to determine the facts in cases such as the one under consideration in the'same manner as he is required to do in other cases, which permits him, if warranted, to discount unsupported testimony of the petitioner even though it is in written form.
If the petition, which rests upon oral testimony, is permitted to be filed at any time regardless of the amount of time that has transpired since the conviction, the State may very well be placed in a position where it may not be able to refute any of the allegations set forth in the petition.
I raise this caveat with the hope that the Legislature will make appropriate amendments and, if not, that the courts will impose a rule of reasonableness based on the theory of laches.
VOGEL, J., concurs.