Court Opinion

ID: 9741418
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-26 20:55:22.193893+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:24:24.005848
License: Public Domain

WUEST, Justice
(concurring in result).
I concur with the result in this case. However, SDCL 22-7-11 provides that the criminal history, together with fingerprints certified by “the public official having cus*858tody thereof,” may be introduced without further foundation.
As I understand the majority opinion, any employee having access to those records may certify the fingerprint records. In my opinion, it must be the public official having custody thereof, as the statute mandates. Being adjudged an habitual criminal ordinarily results in an enhanced sentence. A junior clerk in some big department should not be allowed to certify to such a record. The certification should contain the recitation that the person certifying is the public official having custody thereof.
I am authorized to state that Chief Justice FOSHEIM joins in this concurrence in result.