Court Opinion

ID: 9857835
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-09-24 16:03:01.319737+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:46:35.463709
License: Public Domain

MESCHKE, Justice,
concurring.
I join in the opinion for the court by Chief Justice VandeWalle. I write separately only to point out that, in a proper case, either the prosecution or defense in a criminal trial would be entitled to a correct jury instruction, similar to NDJI-Civil 1625, on an adverse inference against the party that fails to produce or destroys evidence under his control, if no satisfactory explanation for that failure is given. See 29 AmJur2d Evidence §§ 178, 179 (1967); Charles E. Torcia, Wharton’s Criminal Evidence, § 146 (13th ed. 1972); 2 Wig-more, Evidence §§ 290, 291 (Chadbourn rev. 1979). A party is entitled to a jury instruction if there is evidence to support it. State v. Thiel, 411 N.W.2d 66 (N.D.1987).