South Dakota statute
SDCL § 23A-27-1.3 — Victim's written impact statement to court before sentence imposed--Response of defendant--Victim defined
Current through text effective June 30, 2026 (through the 2025 Regular Session)
Part of Chapter 27: Sentence And Judgment, South Dakota Codified Laws.
Full text of SDCL § 23A-27-1.3
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.
If a defendant has been convicted of an A, B, or C felony, upon request to the court by a victim and before imposing sentence on a defendant, a victim has a right to address the court in writing concerning the emotional, physical, and monetary impact of the defendant's crime upon the victim and the victim's family, and may comment upon the sentence which may be imposed upon the defendant.
If a defendant has been convicted of any other felony or misdemeanor, upon request to the court by a victim and before imposing sentence on a defendant, the victim, in the discretion of the court, may address the court in writing concerning the emotional, physical, and monetary impact of the defendant's crime upon the victim and the victim's family, and may comment upon the sentence which may be imposed upon the defendant.
The defendant shall be permitted to respond to such statements and shall be granted a reasonable continuance to refute any inaccurate or false charges or statements.
For the purpose of this section, the term, victim, means anyone adversely impacted emotionally, physically, or monetarily by the defendant's crime.
Official sources
Legal terms used in this section
This reference is informational and is not legal advice.