Court Opinion

ID: 9883889
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-10-06 02:24:10.267075+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:48:32.687347
License: Public Domain

FORSBERG, Judge,
concurring specially:
I concur in the decision because in a series of cases commencing with State v. Webber, the critical impact doctrine has been upheld. I would, however, respectfully suggest that the Supreme Court reconsider State v. Webber, 262 N.W.2d 157 (Minn.1977), and overrule it. Because in State v. Webber the State is required to demonstrate clearly and unequivocally that the evidence will have a critical impact on the outcome of the trial, the State is consistently deprived of the right to present strong incriminating evidence in a case. In this case an admission of defendant, which is always effective with a jury in convicting a defendant, is suppressed, possibly for no valid constitutional reason. The rationale is similar to the rule in the past involving preliminary hearings. In those cases the State needed to produce only sufficient evidence that there was probable cause that defendant committed the crime. Under Webber, the State is, sometimes, virtually confined to such evidence when it must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.