Court Opinion

ID: 9686112
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-24 15:30:15.024713+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:18:15.125564
License: Public Domain

FOSHEIM, Chief Justice
(dissenting).
While I agree with the majority that the prior convictions were not admissible under SDCL 19-14-12,1 disagree with the court’s holding that the offenses were not admissible under SDCL 19-12-5.
In this case, the prior convictions were used to prove the defendant’s motive to lie. The majority finds that this is not a proper use of the prior wrong acts. The court holds that the motive which the state is allowed to establish must be the “motive to commit the offense charged.” This limitation unnecessarily restricts the rule.
The rule says simply that prior convictions may be used “for other purposes, such as proof of motive.” It does not restrict “motive” to the motive to commit the crime charged. Thus, evidence relevant to the motive of a witness to testify falsely is admissible under this uniform rule. State v. Segotta, 100 N.M. 18, 665 P.2d 280, 288 (1983), rev’d on other grounds, 100 N.M.498, 672 P.2d 1129 (1983). C.f. U.S. v. Ible, 630 F.2d 389, 394 (5th Cir.1980).
It is clear that the only proof the rule prohibits is the use of prior wrongs to establish the defendant’s character for the purpose of proving that he possesses a criminal propensity and that on the instance in question his behavior conformed therewith. 2 Louisell & Mueller, Federal *652Evidence §§ 135, 140 (1985) (and numerous cases cited therein); McCormick, Evidence § 190 (Cleary Ed.1984)); Waltz, The New Federal Rules of Evidence, p. 2 (1972 2nd Ed.) In other words, in this case the prosecution was prohibited from proving that the defendant was of a character given to drive after having drank to excess, in order to allow the inference that he did so again on the night in question. The prosecution did not attempt this here. It used the defendant’s prior convictions to prove his motive to concoct his fantastic story. This the rule allows.
In this case, I would hold that the only possible grounds of inadmissibility would be SDCL 19-12-3, which must be consulted after SDCL 19-12-5 has been satisfied. State v. Pedde, 334 N.W.2d 41, 42 (S.D.1983); State v. Johnson, 316 N.W.2d 652, 654 (S.D.1981).