Court Opinion

ID: 9594451
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-22 00:30:05.23307+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:01:23.516646
License: Public Domain

AMUNDSON, Justice
(concurring in part and dissenting in part).
I concur on Issue I and concur with the special writing of Chief Justice Miller on Issue II. I dissent on Issue III. I agree with the majority’s statement that the conduct of the prosecutor in this action was improper, but part company with the conclusion reached thereafter.
This is a case involving the death of an individual caused by the manner in which Wall operated a motor vehicle. The elements of the charged crime, which State had to prove beyond a reasonable doubt, were (1) that the defendant caused the death of Ronald Starkey; (2) that the killing was reckless; and (3) that the killing was by such means and under such circumstances as not to constitute murder or manslaughter in the first-degree. S.D. Pattern Jury Instruction 3-24-27; SDCL 22-16-20.
There was conflicting testimony in this case regarding the speed of Starkey’s vehicle and defendant’s vehicle at the time of the collision. This leads one to conclude that the prosecutor did not feel that State had a lay-down case when it came time to cross-examine the defendant. During this cross-examination, the prosecutor chose to delve into defendant’s insurance status on the vehicle being driven by her at the time of the accident. Defendant’s counsel objected to this line of questioning as being irrelevant and prejudicial. The trial court exercised the appropriate discretion and sustained the objection to this rank cross-examination. When asked by the trial court of the reason for the inquiry, the prosecutor stood mute. As well she should, in view of the fact that there would be no legal, rational, logical, or professional basis to argue to the court for the admission of the foul inquiry.
Next, one must wonder why the prosecutor asked this question, when insurance coverage is not an element of the crime charged. Was it to gain an unfair advantage, picture the defendant as a bad person, inflame the jury in this death case, overzealous prosecution, win at all costs, or ignorance of the rules of professional conduct in the adversary environment? Probably all of the above.
There is no dispute from the record of this proceeding that the trial court, subsequent to the interjection of this low foul into the case, took the proper steps to attempt to sanitize the jury. The issue, in my mind, is whether the trial court’s efforts did correct the wrong inflicted by the prosecution in this case. The answer to this issue must be in the negative to ensure defendant’s right to a fair trial. State v. Big Head, 363 N.W.2d 556 (S.D.1985).
In State v. Blaine, 427 N.W.2d 113, 115 (S.D.1988), this court discussed the duty and obligation of a prosecutor as follows:
The prosecutor has an overriding obligation, which is shared with the court, to see that the defendant receives a fair trial. State v. Brandenburg, 344 N.W.2d 702 (S.D.1984). The burden of ensuring that the defendant receives a fair trial weighs as heavily upon the prosecutor as it does on defense counsel, the court, and the jury. State v. Havens, 264 N.W.2d 918 (S.D.1978).
The prosecutor must refrain from injecting unfounded or prejudicial innuendo into the proceedings, People v. George, 130 Mich.App. 174, 342 N.W.2d 908 (1983), and not appeal to the prejudices of the jury. People v. Hudgins, 125 Mich.App. 140, 336 N.W.2d 241 (1983). (Emphasis supplied.)
I acknowledge that there is “no hard and fast rule” on what constitutes prosecutorial misconduct and same is determined on a case-by-case basis. State v. Kidd, 286 N.W.2d 120 (S.D.1979). Therefore, I have considered the totality of the circumstances in this particular case, which show questions and evidence regarding defendant’s lack of remorse, questions about decedent’s family, and insurance coverage. (Not one of these fields of inquiry in any way relates to the elements of the crime charged or would be considered as appropriate for cross-examination.) What do jurors understand this day and age? If you are involved in a car accident, the party at fault *269had better have good insurance coverage to claim against. If not, an injured party or other interested parties could be left “holding the bag” so to speak. Any individual involved in the legal profession for any length of time understands how incensed injured lay persons or their families become when they discover there is no insurance coverage in place to cover the damages inflicted by a negligent party. Further, all attorneys know that the question of insurance coverage is inadmissible in a civil case and should certainly be cognizant of the fact that it is not relevant to the issues involved in a manslaughter case.
The trial tactic of the prosecutor in my opinion constitutes plain error in this case under SDCL 23A-44-15. The insurance issue could only have been interjected in an attempt to win over the jury by offensive conduct. This was a prodigious foul hit by the prosecution in this case and should not go uncalled in this decision.
I would reverse and remand this case for trial in front of a jury that has not been polluted with improper, highly prejudicial verbiage from the State’s prosecutor.