Court Opinion

ID: 9733608
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-26 17:11:46.878743+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:26:42.702362
License: Public Domain

SABERS, Justice
(concurring specially).
I write specially to state my agreement with the remand for resentencing on 26 counts of felony theft and 26 counts of felony use of false instrument to obtain public funds. I agree that 26 common sentences may be imposed on these convictions, but not 52. At the rate used by the trial court, this could still amount to 260 years in 10-year increments served concurrently.
Although this sentence may not technically constitute “cruel and unusual punishment” in violation of the constitution, it sure seems to, especially when one compares the plight of this lowly court reporter with that of attorney John Simpson, 467 N.W.2d 921 (S.D.1991), who failed to pay South Dakota state sales tax and federal income tax for a period of 23 years and *781received a suspended imposition of sentence with restitution.