South Dakota Codified Laws 26-7A-114. Sealing records in action involving child in need of supervision–Inspection
In any action involving a child in need of supervision, the records and files of the court may be sealed by court order issued on the court’s own motion or on the petition of any party to the action after the termination or completion of the action in all respects, after the expiration of the time for all appeals and after the unconditional release of the child from the court’s jurisdiction. After the records and files are sealed, inspection of them may thereafter be permitted by the court only on petition by the state’s attorney, guardian, guardian ad litem, or attorney for the child who is the subject of the action or by the respondent parents or a court services officer. Before allowing inspection of sealed records and files, the court shall find that the inspection is in keeping with the best interests of the child.
Terms Used In South Dakota Codified Laws 26-7A-114
- Guardian: A person legally empowered and charged with the duty of taking care of and managing the property of another person who because of age, intellect, or health, is incapable of managing his (her) own affairs.
- Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
Source: SL 1991, ch 217, § 109C.