Court Opinion

ID: 9657957
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-23 20:42:20.463245+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:13:49.948229
License: Public Domain

RENTTO, Judge
(concurring specially).
I concur in the opinion except that part which holds that the denial of a motion to direct a verdict of acquittal on grounds of insufficiency of the evidence is not reviewable unless the particulars wherein the evidence was claimed to be insufficient are specified.
*518In support of this view State v. Kirby, 34 S.D. 281, 148 N.W. 533 and State v. Jerke, 73 S.D. 64, 38 N.W.2d 874 are cited. The motion in the Kirby case was made when our statute provided for only an advised verdict of acquittal. At that time it was well established that error could not be predicated upon a court's refusal to advise a verdict of acquittal. State v. Stone, 30 S.D. 23, 137 N.W. 606. Obviously, if reversible error could not be predicated on the denial of a motion to advise, it should .make no difference whether the deficiency in the evidence was specified or not. The motion in the Jerke case was made under our present statute, but it was premised on the holding in the Kirby case. Moreover, since it held the evidence to be sufficient what is said in that decision about this matter is dictum.
The rule which the majority adopts is our rule in civil matters. They hold that such rule is made a part of our criminal procedure by incorporation under SDCL 1967 23-1-3. I do not agree. That section provides:
"All of the provisions of titles 15, 16, 19, 21 and 30, so far as consistent herewith, shall be applicable throughout this title except as to matters for which a different provision is made in this title or where from the context of this entire title or of any particular section of it a different intention plainly appears or where reasonable application of this title to the matter involved otherwise plainly requires."
SDCL 1967 23-45-5, which came into our law of criminal procedure with the 1939 code revision, provides:
"At any time after the evidence on either side is closed, the court may, upon motion of the defendant, direct the jury to return a verdict of acquittal, and in the event of the failure of the jury to return such verdict of acquittal, the court may refuse to receive any other verdict and may discharge the jury and enter a judgment of acquittal.
*519"The denial of the motion may be reviewed upon appeal to the Supreme Court by the defendant."
It seems to me that by this statute a different provision is made in our criminal procedure concerning motions for directed verdicts than is provided in civil cases. It appears to me that the legislature did not intend that our civil rule concerning motions for directed verdicts should be integrated in our criminal procedure by the reference relied on. In effect, the decision amends the legislative enactment embodied in SDCL 1967 23-45-5.
Since we hold that the evidence is sufficient to justify the verdict there seems to be no necessity for discussing this matter which is neither urged nor argued. If we are to promulgate a rule of criminal procedure I would prefer that it be done pursuant to procedures provided in SDCL 1967 16-3 rather than by decisional dictum.
Rule 29(a) of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure concerning motion for judgment of acquittal is quite similar to our 23-45-5 in the regard here in issue. It provides:
"Motions for directed verdict are abolished and motions for judgment of acquittal shall be used in their place. The court on motion of a defendant or of its own motion shall order the entry of judgment of acquittal of one or more offenses charged in the indictment or information after the evidence on either side is closed if the evidence is insufficient to sustain a conviction of such offense or offenses. If a defendant's motion for judgment of acquittal at the close of the evidence offered by the government is not granted, the defendant may offer evidence without having reserved the right."
Concerning it the court in United States v. Jones, 7 Cir., 174 F.2d 746, wrote:
"It ts a challenge to the Government in the presence of the court that the Government has failed in its proof. *520The motion is not required by the rules to be in writing or to specify the grounds therefor. That in itself would indicate that the defendant is not required to go over the proof for the benefit of the Government or the court, in the absence of some request for more specific objection. * * v The Government has a duty to perform. First, it must prove its case on the record and that includes the proof of venue. Second, if that proof is challenged as to sufficiency by a general motion for acquittal, it is the Government's duty to require the defendant to be specific in his objection, and a failure to do so will not enable the Government on appeal to say that the question was not specifically raised below. If it was not, that was the Government's fault. Surely, the defendant does not have to lead the Government through the various steps of the trial to insure a proper record for the Government to stand upon. The Government cannot be heard to say it does not know the significance of a motion for acquittal."
See also Huff v. United States, 5 Cir., 273 F.2d 56.
In Boykin v. Alabama, 395 U.S. 238, 89 S.Ct. 1709, 23 L.Ed.2d 274, it was held that a trial judge before accepting a plea of guilty must ascertain the existence of a factual basis for the specific charge to which the plea is entered. Absent such the conviction will be set aside. If this is constitutionally required when the conviction is the result of a guilty plea is it not similarly required when the conviction is based on a jury verdict? Douglas v. California, 372 U.S. 353, 83 S.Ct. 814, 9 L.Ed.2d 811, reh. den. 373 U.S. 905, 83 S.Ct. 1288, 10 L.Ed.2d 200; and Anders v. California, 386 U.S. 738, 87 S.Ct. 1396, 18 L.Ed.2d 493, reh. den. 388 U.S. 924, 87 S.Ct. 2094, 18 L.Ed.2d 1377, appear to annunciate a legal philosophy which says that federally protected due process requires a review on the merits in criminal cases. Assistance of counsel has been made necessary in this endeavor if there are arguable issues.
I am authorized to state that HOMEYER, ]., joins in this special concurrence.