Court Opinion

ID: 9662586
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-23 23:13:38.626461+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T12:27:10.899454
License: Public Domain

WUEST, Chief Justice
(concurring specially).
I concur, but I would point out that SDCL 23A-6-23 permits two or more offenses to be charged in the same indictment in separate counts for each offense, if the offenses charged are of the same or similar character or are based on the same act or transaction or on two or more acts or transactions connected together. However, a defendant convicted on two counts, relating to a single offense, may only be sentenced on one count. As a matter of practice, the jury should be instructed the defendant can be found guilty of only one count if the counts are different statements of the same offense. See State v. Teutsch, 80 S.D. 462, 126 N.W.2d 112 (1964). See also, State v. Myott, 246 N.W.2d 786 (S.D.1976).