In the prosecution for the violation of any municipal ordinance which authorizes a penalty of a jail sentence, the municipality must prove the defendant guilty of the violation of the ordinance beyond a reasonable doubt. The proceedings shall be commenced by complaint naming the first or second class municipality as plaintiff, and the response thereto shall be by either oral plea or written answer. The defendant shall be entitled, by making demand therefor at any time before the commencement of trial, to trial by jury in the event the defendant is subject to any jail sentence. Except as provided in this section the proceedings shall be governed by the rules of civil procedure.

Terms Used In South Dakota Codified Laws 9-19-3.1

  • Answer: The formal written statement by a defendant responding to a civil complaint and setting forth the grounds for defense.
  • Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
  • Defendant: In a civil suit, the person complained against; in a criminal case, the person accused of the crime.
  • ordinance: as used in this title shall mean a permanent legislative act of the governing body of a municipality within the limits of its powers. See South Dakota Codified Laws 9-19-1
  • Plaintiff: The person who files the complaint in a civil lawsuit.
  • 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.
  • Trial: A hearing that takes place when the defendant pleads "not guilty" and witnesses are required to come to court to give evidence.
  • 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

Source: SL 1975, ch 96, § 1; SL 1992, ch 60, § 2.

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