North Dakota v. Campbell

Anthony Campbell appealed a criminal judgment after a jury found him guilty of murder for the 2014 stabbing death of Shannon Brunelle. The autopsy report stated Brunelle had seven lethal stab wounds in his back and neck and had been beaten with a golf club. Minot police arrested Campbell for the murder of Brunelle. At trial, the State submitted evidence showing Campbell's DNA was found inside a pair of bloody athletic shoes found inside the garage. Campbell's DNA was also found on a broken golf club used to strike Brunelle. Campbell testified at trial he had no involvement in Brunelle's murder. Campbell offered testimony from Ross Rolshoven, an expert private investigator to provide his opinions of the case. Rolshoven testified that he believed at least two assailants were present when Brunelle was murdered. Rolshoven also provided his opinions about the State's investigation and a third-party's possible involvement in Brunelle's murder. The district court sustained the State's objections when Rolshoven testified about facts not in evidence. After a seven-day trial, the jury found Campbell guilty of Brunelle's murder. Campbell argued on appeal of his conviction that the district court should have allowed his expert to provide all of his opinions about Brunelle's murder. The North Dakota Supreme Court affirmed, concluding the district court did not abuse its discretion in its evidentiary decisions relating to the testimony of Campbell's expert witness and the admission of evidence of prior bad acts. View "North Dakota v. Campbell" on Justia Law