South Dakota Codified Laws 22-19A-1. Stalking–Violation as misdemeanor–Second or subsequent offense a felony
No person may:
(1) Willfully, maliciously, and repeatedly follow or harass another person;
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 6 felony | up to 2 years | up to $4,000 |
| Class 1 misdemeanor | up to 1 year | up to $2,00 |
Terms Used In South Dakota Codified Laws 22-19A-1
- Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal defendant.
- Person: includes natural persons, partnerships, associations, cooperative corporations, limited liability companies, and corporations. See South Dakota Codified Laws 2-14-2
- Plea: In a criminal case, the defendant's statement pleading "guilty" or "not guilty" in answer to the charges, a declaration made in open court.
- written: include typewriting and typewritten, printing and printed, except in the case of signatures, and where the words are used by way of contrast to typewriting and printing. See South Dakota Codified Laws 2-14-2
(2) Make a credible threat to another person with the intent to place that person in reasonable fear of death or great bodily injury; or
(3) Willfully, maliciously, and repeatedly harass another person by means of any verbal, electronic, digital media, mechanical, telegraphic, or written communication.
A violation of this section constitutes the crime of stalking. Stalking is a Class 1 misdemeanor. However, any second or subsequent conviction occurring within ten years of a prior conviction under this section is a Class 6 felony. Any conviction for, or plea of guilty to, an offense in another state which, if committed in this state, would be a violation of this section and occurring within ten years prior to the date of the violation being charged, shall be used to determine if the violation being charged is a second or subsequent offense.
Source: SL 1992, ch 162, § 1; SL 1993, ch 176, § 1; SL 1997, ch 132, § 1; SL 2001, ch 112, § 1; SL 2002, ch 109, § 5; SL 2006, ch 120, § 1; SL 2020, ch 83, § 1.