Court Opinion

ID: 9686111
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-24 15:30:15.020934+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:18:15.124829
License: Public Domain

WUEST, Justice
(concurring in part, dissenting in part).
I concur, except as to the number of peremptory challenges. In my opinion, SDCL 32-23-4 is a punishment enhancement statute; however, this should not be controlling. SDCL 23A-20-20 provides in part: “In all other felony cases, the prosecution and the defense each have ten peremptory challenges.” The statute further provides for only three in misdemeanor cases. When a defendant stands charged in a supplemental information with two or more previous DWI convictions within five years, he is facing a term in the state penitentiary. A felony is a crime which is or may be punishable by imprisonment m the state penitentiary. SDCL 22-1-4.
In deference to the majority opinion, Holiday and Watkins provide strong precedent to support it. I would, however, distinguish those cases without overruling them in order to provide ten peremptory challenges to a person charged with third offense DWI.
Logically, it is difficult to make that distinction. On the other hand, conviction of a third offense is a felony and the statute provides for ten peremptories for felonies. Further, Holiday and Watkins were afforded ten peremptories upon the felony charge against them. They wanted twenty because they faced life imprisonment as habitual criminals. As a practical matter, they were fairly treated with ten perempto-ries. A third DWI offense is rightly considered a serious offense in South Dakota, and it often results in a penitentiary term. Drunken drivers do not belong on the highway. The law, however, provides for ten peremptory challenges for felonies, and a third DWI conviction is a felony. Therefore, I would afford such offenders the same rights as those granted any other person charged with a felony.