South Dakota legal term
Mental illness in South Dakota Criminal Law
Current through 2026 South Dakota legislative session
In South Dakota criminal law, “Mental illness” is a term defined by statute rather than by its everyday meaning. Its statutory definition — quoted verbatim below — controls how the term is applied throughout the South Dakota criminal code.
What does “Mental illness” mean in South Dakota criminal law?
(24) "Mental illness," any substantial psychiatric disorder of thought, mood or behavior, which affects a person at the time of the commission of the offense, and which impairs a person's judgment, but not to the extent that the person is incapable of knowing the wrongfulness of such act. (SDCL § 22-1-2)
Statutes defining or using this term
Related terms in the same statutes
This reference is informational and is not legal advice.