South Dakota statute
SDCL § 22-11-19 — Tampering with a witness--Felony
Current through text effective June 30, 2026 (through the 2025 Regular Session)
Part of Chapter 11: Obstruction Of The Administration Of Government, South Dakota Codified Laws.
Criminal charges under this statute
Full text of SDCL § 22-11-19
Statutory text current through the text effective June 30, 2026 (through the 2025 Regular Session). This publication reproduces the official statutory text; it is not the official statutes of the State of South Dakota.
Any person who injures or threatens to injure any person or property; who offers, confers, or agrees to confer any benefit on a witness or prospective witness in an official proceeding; or who corruptly persuades or corruptly influences another person to induce the witness to:
(1) Testify falsely;
(2) Withhold any testimony, information, document, or thing;
(3) Elude legal process summoning the witness to testify or supply evidence; or
(4) Absent himself or herself from an official proceeding to which the witness has been legally summoned;
is guilty of tampering with a witness. Any person who injures, or threatens to injure, any person or property in retaliation for that person testifying in an official proceeding, or for cooperating with law enforcement, government officials, investigators, or prosecutors, is guilty of tampering with a witness. Tampering with a witness is a Class 4 felony.
For the purposes of this section, the term, corruptly, means wrongful or immoral and done with an intent to impede the administration of justice.
Official sources
Legal terms used in this section
Questions this section answers
Is tampering with a witness a felony or a misdemeanor in South Dakota?
Tampering with a witness is a Class 4 Felony in South Dakota under SDCL § 22-11-19.
Which South Dakota statute covers tampering with a witness?
Tampering with a witness is governed by SDCL § 22-11-19 (Tampering with a witness--Felony).
This reference is informational and is not legal advice.