Court Opinion

ID: 9699166
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-25 20:12:06.58547+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:20:47.071299
License: Public Domain

HENDERSON, Justice
(specially concurring).
I specially concur in order to set forth a standard of review upon which I may platform my future votes in this Court. There were five findings of fact and six conclusions of law entered by the trial court. This constitutes the formal “decision” of the court. Muckler v. Smith, 51 S.D. 127, 212 N.W. 491 (1927); First Nat'l Bank v. McCarthy, 13 S.D. 356, 83 N.W. 423 (1900).
Reference is made to the following authority on scope of review: United States v. United States Gypsum Co., 333 U.S. 364, 395, 68 S.Ct. 525, 542, 92 L.Ed. 746, 766 (1948). Accord: Schmidt v. Forell, 306 N.W.2d 876 (S.D.1981); In re Estate of Hobelsberger, 85 S.D. 282, 181 N.W.2d 455 (1970). United States Gypsum Co. enunciated: “A finding is ‘clearly erroneous’ when although there is evidence to support it, the reviewing court on the entire evidence is left with the definite and firm conviction that a mistake has been committed.” Id., 333 U.S. at 395, 68 S.Ct. at 542, 92 L.Ed. at 766. Later, the United States Supreme Court elaborated on this definition by expressing that an appellate court, when it employs the clearly erroneous standard “is circumscribed by the deference it must give to decisions of the trier of the fact....” Zenith Radio Corp. v. Hazeltine Research, 395 U.S. 100, 123, 89 S.Ct. 1562, 1576, 23 L.Ed.2d 129, 148 (1969). Discussing Rule 52(a) of the Rules of Civil Procedure (codified in SDCL 15-6-52(a)), the United States Supreme Court emphasized that the clearly erroneous standard “does not apply to conclusions of law.” See Pullman-Standard v. Swint, 456 U.S. 273, 287, 102 S.Ct. 1781, 1789, 72 L.Ed.2d 66, 79 (1982). In that same year, our nation’s Highest Court held “if the trial court bases its findings upon a mistaken impression of applicable legal principles, the reviewing court is not bound by the clearly erroneous standard.” Inwood Labs. v. Ives Labs., 456 U.S. 844, 855 n. 15, 102 S.Ct. 2182, 2189 n. 15, 72 L.Ed.2d 606, 616 n. 15 (1982).
Note that this case is an estate case. Note that this author cites the old Hobels-berger case which has been cited in this Court, ad infinitum. This author now offers In re Estate of Gosmire, a unanimous opinion, 331 N.W.2d 562, 567 (S.D.1983), and I quote from it: “The trial court’s findings of fact shall not be set aside unless clearly erroneous. A finding is clearly erroneous when upon reviewing the entire evidence, we are left with a definite and firm conviction that the trial court has erred. Estate of Nelson, 330 N.W.2d 151 (S.D.1983); Matter of Estate of Pierce, 299 N.W.2d 816 (S.D.1980).”
This special writing is tendered to that language of the majority opinion, on the scope of review, pertaining to findings of fact, which is perhaps, very close to the law of this state and nation. This author suggests that, conceptually, this Court must bifurcate with certainty, its scope of review on findings of fact and conclusions of law. See Inwood Labs., 456 U.S. at 855 n. 15, 102 S.Ct. at 2189 n. 15, 72 L.Ed.2d at 616 n. 15; Village of Weyauwega v. Kramer, 180 *108Wis. 168, 192 N.W. 452 (1923).* In Bennett v. Jansma, 329 N.W.2d 134, 136 (S.D.1983), Justice Morgan, writing for a unanimous Court, stated:
The trial court’s dismissal of the action operates as an adjudication upon the merits. SDCL 15-6-41(b). Since the dismissal operates as an adjudication upon the merits, this court on appeal reviews the findings of fact under the “clearly erroneous” standard. 5 Moore’s Federal Practice § 41.13[4] at 41-196 to 198. We review the conclusions of law to determine whether they are in error as a matter of law.
In determining a scope of review on a conclusion of law, one may dub it a “mistake of law” or “mistake in impression of legal principles” or a “conclusion[] of law ... in error as a matter of law.” It all boils down to the same concept.

 Weyauwega was quoted with approval in Hartpence v. Youth Forestry Camp, 325 N.W.2d 292, 296 (S.D.1982), a four-to-one decision authored by Justice Morgan.