South Dakota Codified Laws 26-8A-26.1. Additional reasons for termination of parental rights
In addition to the provisions of § 26-8A-26, the court may find that good cause exists for termination of parental rights of a parent who:
(1) Committed a crime defined in § 22-16-4, 22-16-7, 22-16-15, 22-16-20, 22-22-1, 22-22-24.3, 22-22A-2, 22-22A-3, 26-10-1, or subdivision 22-19-1(5), or committed conduct described by any of those statutes that violated the law or ordinance of another jurisdiction having elements similar to an offense described by any of those statutes;
Terms Used In South Dakota Codified Laws 26-8A-26.1
- 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.
- 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.
(2) Aided or abetted, attempted, conspired, or solicited to commit a crime defined in § 22-16-4, 22-16-7, 22-16-15, or 22-16-20 or the law or ordinance of another jurisdiction having elements similar to an offense described by any of those statutes;
(3) Committed a crime defined in § 22-18-1.1, 22-22-7, or subdivision 22-23-2(2) against the child or another child of such parent, or committed conduct described by those sections that violated the law or ordinance of another jurisdiction having elements similar to the offense described by those sections;
(4) Has been determined by a court by clear and convincing evidence to have subjected the child or another child to torture, sexual abuse, abandonment for at least six months, chronic physical, mental, or emotional injury, or chronic neglect if the neglect was a serious threat to the safety of the child or another child;
(5) Is incarcerated and is unavailable to care for the child during a significant period of the child’s minority, considering the child’s age and the child’s need for care by an adult;
(6) Has had parental rights to another child involuntarily terminated by a prior legal proceeding;
(7) Has a documented history of abuse and neglect associated with chronic alcohol or drug abuse;
(8) Has exposed the child to or demonstrated an inability to protect the child from substantial harm or the risk of substantial harm, and the child or another child has been removed from the parent’s custody because the removed child was adjudicated abused and neglected by a court on at least one previous occasion;
(9) Has exposed the child to or demonstrated an inability to protect the child from substantial harm or the risk of substantial harm, the child has been removed from the parent’s custody on two separate occasions, and the Department of Social Services offered or provided family services on each of the two separate occasions the child was removed;
(10) Has exposed the child to or demonstrated an inability to protect the child from substantial harm or risk of harm resulting from a crime, act, or omission as specified in subdivision (1), (2), or (3) of this section; or
(11) Is required to register as a sex offender pursuant to chapter 22-24B.
Source: SL 1998, ch 161, § 4; SL 1999, ch 136, § 2; SL 2001, ch 141, § 2; SL 2007, ch 167, § 2; SL 2012, ch 147, § 2.