South Dakota Codified Laws 19-7-14. Suppression or destruction of documentary evidence as misdemeanor
Every person who maliciously practices any deceit or fraud or uses any force or threat with intent to prevent any party to an action, proceeding, trial, investigation, or inquiry from obtaining or producing therein any book, document, paper, record, or other matter or thing which might be evidence, or with intent to prevent any person having in his possession or control any of the same or cognizant of any fact material thereto from producing or disclosing the same; or who, knowing that any of such things is about to be produced in evidence for any such purpose, intentionally destroys the same with intent to prevent it being so produced or used is guilty of a Class 2 misdemeanor.
Attorney's Note
Under the South Dakota Laws, punishments for crimes depend on the classification. In the case of this section:| Class | Prison | Fine |
|---|---|---|
| Class 2 misdemeanor | up to 30 days | up to $500 |
Terms Used In South Dakota Codified Laws 19-7-14
- Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
- Fraud: Intentional deception resulting in injury to another.
- Person: includes natural persons, partnerships, associations, cooperative corporations, limited liability companies, and corporations. See South Dakota Codified Laws 2-14-2
- Trial: A hearing that takes place when the defendant pleads "not guilty" and witnesses are required to come to court to give evidence.
Source: PenC 1877, § 169; CL 1887, § 6369; RPenC 1903, § 175; RC 1919, § 3763; SDC 1939, § 13.1246; SL 1979, ch 150, § 24.