Court Opinion

ID: 9666919
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-24 01:30:17.390691+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:15:33.529635
License: Public Domain

SABERS, Justice
(concurring in part and dissenting in part).
I concur except that, based on part 2 of my dissent in State v. Rough Surface, 440 N.W.2d 746, 760 (S.D.1989) (Sabers, J„ dissenting), I would hold that it was plain error to sentence Wilcox to concurrent life sentences on second-degree felony murder and first-degree manslaughter as there was only one death. See also State v. Baker, 440 N.W.2d 284 (S.D.1989).
This case differs from Rough Surface in that the homicide convictions' here are for murder and manslaughter, rather than all murder convictions. However, other courts have held that double homicide convictions for a single death are improper, regardless of the types of homicide. Houser v. State, 474 So.2d 1193 (Fla.1985); Commonwealth v. Jones, 382 Mass. 387, 416 N.E.2d 502 (1981); Loscomb v. State, 45 Md.App. 598, 416 A.2d 1276 (1980), aff'd on other grounds 291 Md. 424, 435 A.2d 764 (1981); Commonwealth v. Monteil, 273 Pa.Super. 94, 416 A.2d 1105 (1979). As stated in Houser, “Florida courts have repeatedly recognized that the legislature did not intend to punish a single homicide under two different statutes.” Id. at 1197. Similarly, there is no expressed intent on *215the part of our legislature to punish a single death under both SDCL 22-16-9 (murder in the second degree) and SDCL 22-16-15 (manslaughter in the first degree).
I would reverse and remand to the trial court to vacate one of the homicide convictions and for appropriate resentencing.