State v. Oster

495 N.W.2d 305, 1993 S.D. LEXIS 9, 1993 WL 16396
CourtSouth Dakota Supreme Court
DecidedJanuary 27, 1993
Docket17745
StatusPublished
Cited by67 cases

This text of 495 N.W.2d 305 (State v. Oster) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering South Dakota Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Oster, 495 N.W.2d 305, 1993 S.D. LEXIS 9, 1993 WL 16396 (S.D. 1993).

Opinions

HENDERSON, Justice.

PROCEDURAL HISTORY/ISSUES

Appellant, Marvin J. Oster, Jr., was indicted by a grand jury in Butte County on April 25, 1991, for violation of SDCL 22-32-3: Second Degree Burglary. At a motion hearing, he was denied a motion to dismiss the indictment for insufficient indictment and failure to give Miranda warnings. A motion in limine was granted suppressing evidence of prior criminal convictions; however, a motion to suppress Oster’s taped admissions was denied because of the voluntariness of the admissions.

Trial was held on September 19, 1991, with the jury finding Oster guilty of second degree burglary. On November 1, 1991, Oster was sentenced to five years in the South Dakota State Penitentiary. On November 22, 1991, Oster filed a timely notice of appeal to this Court raising the following issues:

I. Did the indictment sufficiently inform Oster of the charge against him?
II. Was Oster’s confession the result of police coercion?
III. Did the trial court abuse its discretion by admitting Oster’s taped statement into evidence?
IV. Did the trial court abuse its discretion by denying Oster’s motion for mistrial?
V. Did the trial court properly instruct the jury on the law?
VI. Was there sufficient evidence of the corpus delicti to corroborate Oster’s confession and sustain a conviction?

[307]*307We reverse based upon our holding on Issue V.

FACTS

In the early morning hours of April 13, 1991, Oster and his girlfriend left Deadwood after a night of gambling and began “cruising around” in a snowstorm near the rural community of Vale in Butte County, South Dakota. Oster eventually stuck his car in a ditch. The. two spent the night in the car waiting for daybreak.

At approximately 6:15 a.m., Oster, leaving his girlfriend with the car, reached the home of Larry Vissia. As Oster stood at the door, he requested help in getting his car back on the road. Although the two had never met, Vissia invited him inside to wait while he put on his boots. While Vissia was in another room putting on his boots, he closed the door to prevent his dog from escaping and bothering Oster. As Oster waited in the kitchen area, he noticed Vissia’s wallet sitting on a cupboard. He apparently picked it up, looked through it, and then decided to steal the $34.00 out of it. Thereafter, Vissia exited the bedroom, found a tow rope, and together they drove to Oster’s car whereupon they successfully put it back on the road. Both parties then went their separate ways.

Within the next two hours, Vissia picked up his wallet and discovered that his cash and a check were missing. He called the Butte County Sheriffs office and reported a theft. Deputy Sheriff Pomrenke was assigned to investigate the case.

One day after Deputy Pomrenke’s investigation which led him to Oster, he contacted Oster and asked him to meet him at the Sheriffs office after 5:00 p.m. After arriving, Oster and Deputy Pomrenke began a tape recorded discussion concerning Oster’s actions on the day in question. Less than ten minutes later, Oster confessed to taking the money.

DECISION

I. The indictment was sufficient.

Oster first alleges that his conviction should be overturned because the indictment was insufficient. For an indictment to be sufficient, it must state all the elements of the offense charged and fairly inform the defendant of the charge against him; and it must enable him to plead an acquittal of conviction in bar of future prosecutions for the same offense. United States v. Bailey, 444 U.S. 394, 100 S.Ct. 624, 62 L.Ed.2d 575 (1980); State v. Younger, 453 N.W.2d 834 (S.D.1990); State v. Logue, 372 N.W.2d 151 (S.D.1985).

Oster’s indictment for second degree burglary stated:

Count I Second Degree Burglary; That on or about the 13th day of April, 1991, in the county of Butte, state of South Dakota, MARVIN OSTER, JR. did enter or remain in an occupied structure, to-wit: Larry Vissia residence, Vale, Butte County, South Dakota, with the intent to commit the crime of theft therein, in violation of SDCL 22-32-3; and, contrary to the statute in such case made and provided against the peace and dignity of the state of South Dakota.

This indictment is not cloaked in mystery. The first words inform Oster of the offense charged. The elements of this crime correspond with the statute for second degree burglary. SDCL 22-32-3, as amended in 1989, states:

Any person who enters an occupied structure with intent to commit any crime other than the act of shoplifting or retail theft as described in chapter 22-30A constituting a misdemeanor, or remains in an occupied structure after forming the intent to commit any crime other than shoplifting as described in chapter 22-30A constituting a misdemeanor under circumstances not amounting to first degree burglary, is guilty of second degree burglary. Second degree burglary is a Class 3 felony.

This Court has consistently held that an indictment is generally sufficient if it employs the language of the statute or its equivalent. Younger at 840; Logue at 155; State v. Bingen, 326 N.W.2d 99 (S.D.1982); State v. Lange, 82 S.D. 666, 152 N.W.2d 635 (1967). Inasmuch as the language of the indictment properly incorpo[308]*308rates the statutory law of South Dakota, we find the indictment to be sufficient.

II. Oster’s confession was voluntary beyond a reasonable doubt.

During pre-trial motions, Oster sought to have his statements suppressed due to the failure of law enforcement officials to give Miranda warnings. The trial judge ruled that under State v. Perkins, 444 N.W.2d 34 (S.D.1989), the interrogation was not custodial, and thus the warnings were not required. Oster does not challenge this decision, but claims that the statements were involuntary, achieved by psychological coercion.

Under such a claim, State must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that incriminating statements or confessions were freely and voluntarily made. State v. Corder, 460 N.W.2d 733 (S.D.1990); State v. Dickey, 459 N.W.2d 445 (S.D.1990). The trial court must determine voluntariness through an examination of the totality of the circumstances. Haynes v. Washington, 373 U.S. 503, 83 S.Ct. 1336, 10 L.Ed.2d 513 (1963); State v. Albright,

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Bluebook (online)
495 N.W.2d 305, 1993 S.D. LEXIS 9, 1993 WL 16396, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-oster-sd-1993.