Court Opinion

ID: 9527556
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-07 03:31:32.577363+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T13:25:53.857134
License: Public Domain

FOSHEIM, Chief Justice
(concurring specially).
*616The majority opinion is correct in concluding the trial court had no authority to award attorney fees and jury costs occasioned by either mistrial. Justice Wollman is also correct, however, that some sanction more condign than contempt should be available to serve as a deterrent to those who attempt to circumvent the proper bounds of voir dire examination. As the majority opinion notes, granting or refusing a mistrial involves the discretion of the trial court. Likewise, whether to grant or refuse a new trial addresses the sound discretion of the trial court. Basin Elec. Power Co-op. v. Gosch, 90 S.D. 222, 240 N.W.2d 96 (1976); Byre v. Wieczorek, 88 S.D. 185, 217 N.W.2d 151 (1974). In my opinion, sanction authority inherently exists where the grant or refusal by the trial court is discretionary. Following each mistrial declaration, the trial court in the exercise of its inherent power could have imposed terms on the plaintiffs as a condition to a new trial. See, 66 C.J.S., New Trial, § 207 and cases annotated.