Court Opinion

ID: 9743070
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-26 21:25:07.125298+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:24:39.103090
License: Public Domain

HENDERSON, Justice
(concurring in result).
I wish only to write on the prosecutorial misconduct issue in this case. See State v. Big Head, 363 N.W.2d 556, 564 (S.D.1985) (Henderson, J., specially concurring), on the subject of prosecutorial misconduct. This author has consistently taken a position on action which must be taken by defense counsel when there is prosecutorial misconduct. See State v. Kidd, 286 N.W.2d 120, 123 (S.D.1979) (Henderson, J., concurring specially) (citing State v. Christiansen, 46 S.D. 61, 67, 190 N.W. 777, 779 (1922)); for civil application, see Schlagel v. Sokota Hybrid Producers, 279 N.W.2d 431, 434 (S.D.1979) (Henderson, J., concurring specially). Here, defense counsel made no timely objection. Defense counsel did make a motion for mistrial in chambers and did obtain a verbal admonition to the jury and a written instruction to the jury by the trial judge. On-the-spot corrections, in front of the jury, are powerful. These are prompted and triggered by an immediate objection by defense counsel. True, a prosecutor ought to know better, but a defense lawyer ought to also forthwith protect his client in the presence of the jury. If a question is asked so quickly and answered by the witness so quickly that an objection cannot be inserted between the question and the answer, defense counsel should make a motion to strike the answer and then object to the question. Following the procedure I have consistently outlined, will permit a trial judge to correct a factual or ethical impropriety at once. This is not the first time we have seen this zeal emanating from the prosecutor’s office in Fall River County. The zeal in this record takes on the character of prosecutorial misconduct. I do not condone either the coat testimony elicited nor testimony regarding another possible crime or crimes. I do wish to state that certain conduct before the jury by a prosecutor can be so highly improper and highly prejudicial that no immediate action taken by defense counsel can cure it. A flagrant prosecutorial act, in the presence of the jury, can rise to such dimension that a fair trial cannot be had even if an instruction to disregard the conduct or questioning is placed before the jury by the presiding judge. When this Court is faced with such a situation, we should call a foul — a foul — and reverse.