The South Dakota Supreme Court has affirmed a lower court’s decision regarding the admissibility of body camera footage as evidence, a ruling praised by South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley. The High Court’s unanimous decision upheld a Pennington County Circuit Court ruling in the case of State of South Dakota v. Michael David Geist.
The case involved Michael David Geist, who was convicted of assaulting a Rapid City Police Officer. During the trial, the prosecution presented body camera footage from a second officer. Geist’s defense argued that the footage should have been inadmissible because the officer who recorded it was unavailable to testify due to a military assignment.
However, the Supreme Court Justices unanimously concluded that the circuit court did not abuse its discretion by allowing the body camera footage to be admitted. They determined that the footage was properly admitted under the “silent witness theory,” citing significant evidence that verified the video’s authenticity and content.
Attorney General Jackley emphasized the importance of such evidence, stating, “Officer body-worn camera footage can be important in court cases. The footage serves as a critical, objective piece of evidence that can help establish facts and protect the rights of all parties.”
The Attorney General’s Office was responsible for handling the appeal of this case to the Supreme Court.
You can read the full article at KXLG.