Justia South Dakota Supreme Court Opinion Summaries

Charles Joseph Burkard sued Tami Jo Burkard for divorce in 2012, and they agreed to share joint legal and physical custody of their two children, with Charles paying $1,000 per month in child support. In 2022, their daughter began living full-time with Tami, prompting Tami to seek a modification of child support. The child support referee calculated Charles's new obligation using a hybrid formula, resulting in a monthly payment of $1,465.58. Tami objected, arguing for a different calculation method.The Circuit Court of the Second Judicial Circuit in Lincoln County, South Dakota, held a hearing and admitted new testimony from a child support referee, Tom Keller, over Tami's objections. The court ultimately adopted the referee's hybrid formula for calculating child support, despite Tami's argument that it did not align with statutory guidelines and inflated Charles's obligation.The Supreme Court of the State of South Dakota reviewed the case. It found that the circuit court erred in admitting Keller's testimony, as it violated SDCL 25-7A-22, which confines evidence to the record established before the referee. However, this error was deemed non-prejudicial because the circuit court's decision was based on the referee's initial report and recommendation.The Supreme Court held that the circuit court did not abuse its discretion in adopting the referee's child support calculation, as it was within a reasonable range of potential awards. However, due to discrepancies in the parties' stated income and health insurance amounts, the case was remanded for further calculations. The main holding affirmed the child support amount but required recalculations to address income discrepancies. View "Burkard v. Burkard" on Justia Law

In October 2014, while guiding a hunting party on their property, the Olsens' son observed a crop duster spraying herbicide, which allegedly damaged the Olsens' ponderosa pine trees. The Olsens claimed the herbicide caused significant damage and death to the trees. They filed a lawsuit against the Defendants, who argued that expert testimony was required to prove causation. The circuit court granted summary judgment in favor of the Defendants, leading to the Olsens' appeal.The Circuit Court of the Fifth Judicial Circuit in Spink County, South Dakota, reviewed the case. The court found that without expert testimony, a jury would be left to speculate about the cause of the damage to the trees. The court noted that the fields of chemistry, botany, and agronomy were beyond the understanding of a typical layperson. Consequently, the court granted summary judgment, dismissing the Olsens' complaint in its entirety.The Supreme Court of South Dakota reviewed the appeal. The court affirmed the circuit court's decision regarding the need for expert testimony to establish causation for the damage to the trees. However, it reversed the summary judgment on the claims of trespass, statutory nuisance, and common law nuisance, noting that these claims do not require proof of damages to survive summary judgment. The court remanded these claims for further proceedings, allowing the Olsens to potentially recover nominal damages. The court affirmed the summary judgment on the claims of promissory estoppel and civil conspiracy due to the lack of evidence on causation for damages. View "Estate of Olsen v. Agtegra Cooperative" on Justia Law

Michael O’Neal was charged with fifteen counts of possession of child pornography following an investigation that included the warrantless seizure of his cell phone and a subsequent search of the phone pursuant to a warrant. O’Neal moved to suppress the evidence obtained from his phone, arguing that the seizure was unconstitutional. The circuit court agreed that the seizure was unconstitutional but denied the motion to suppress the evidence obtained from the search. The court also denied O’Neal’s motion to dismiss the charges due to preindictment delay and his motion to preclude the introduction of certain images. O’Neal was convicted on all counts after a jury trial and appealed the rulings.The Circuit Court of the Second Judicial Circuit in Minnehaha County, South Dakota, initially reviewed the case. The court held a suppression hearing and determined that the seizure of O’Neal’s phone was unconstitutional but found that the search warrant was supported by probable cause. The court concluded that the evidence obtained from the search was sufficiently attenuated from the unlawful seizure. The court also denied O’Neal’s motion to dismiss the charges due to preindictment delay, finding no substantial prejudice, and allowed the introduction of additional images as evidence.The Supreme Court of South Dakota reviewed the case and affirmed the lower court’s rulings. The court held that the search warrant was supported by probable cause based on the detailed and credible information provided by O’Neal’s fiancé. The court also found that the evidence obtained from the phone was admissible under the independent source and inevitable discovery doctrines, despite the initial unlawful seizure. The court determined that O’Neal failed to show actual and substantial prejudice from the preindictment delay and that the additional images were properly admitted as they were relevant to proving O’Neal’s knowledge and intent. The court concluded that there was sufficient evidence to support the jury’s verdict and that O’Neal’s right to jury unanimity was not violated. View "State v. O'Neal" on Justia Law

Kaleb Ironheart was charged with first-degree robbery and aggravated assault after stealing a bottle of liquor from a grocery store. The store manager, Francis Gergen, noticed Ironheart acting suspiciously, saw him grab a bottle of whiskey, and then watched as Ironheart ran out of the store without paying. Gergen chased Ironheart, who then pulled out a knife and threatened Gergen before escaping in a car. Ironheart was later identified and charged.Ironheart was tried in the Circuit Court of the Second Judicial Circuit, Minnehaha County, South Dakota. He moved for a judgment of acquittal on both counts, arguing that the evidence was insufficient to support either charge. The circuit court denied the motion, and the jury found Ironheart guilty on both counts. Ironheart appealed the robbery conviction, arguing that the circuit court erred in denying his motion for judgment of acquittal.The Supreme Court of the State of South Dakota reviewed the case. The court noted that under South Dakota law, robbery is defined as the intentional taking of personal property from another person's possession or immediate presence, against their will, accomplished by means of force or fear of force. The court found that a reasonable jury could have concluded that Ironheart used his knife with force or fear of force to retain possession of the liquor or to prevent Gergen’s resistance to the taking. The court also found that the jury could have concluded that the force or fear of force was not used solely as a means of escape. Therefore, the Supreme Court affirmed the lower court's decision, upholding Ironheart's robbery conviction. View "State v. Ironheart" on Justia Law

The case involves a dispute between Julie and Gary Liebel, who married in 2010 and divorced in 2022. Prior to their marriage, they had signed a premarital agreement stating that each party's assets would remain separate and under their sole control, even after the marriage. The agreement also stated that neither party would acquire any interest in the other's property due to the marriage. The couple divorced on the grounds of adultery, and the circuit court applied the premarital agreement in dividing their assets. Julie appealed, arguing that the court erred in applying the agreement to the property division in the divorce and abused its discretion in classifying and distributing the parties’ property.The circuit court had found the premarital agreement to be valid and enforceable in the context of divorce. It also found that the agreement unambiguously governed the division of property in the event of divorce. The court treated the marital home, which was held jointly, as marital property, but most of the remaining property was treated as nonmarital. Gary received the bulk of the nonmarital property valued at $713,705. Upon division of the net marital assets, Julie was awarded marital property valued at $35,482, while Gary received marital property valued at $134,535. The court ordered Gary to make a cash equalization payment to Julie in the amount of $49,526, less $2,062.80 in attorney fees awarded to Gary for defending a protection order that the court determined Julie filed maliciously.The Supreme Court of the State of South Dakota affirmed the lower court's decision. It found that the premarital agreement unambiguously provided that neither spouse may claim an interest in the separate property of the other, whether it was acquired before or during the marriage. This could only be understood to mean that the other spouse would not obtain any interest in separately owned property under any circumstances, including divorce, unless mutually agreed to by creating a joint tenancy in any property. The court also found no abuse of discretion in the lower court's division of property. View "Liebel v. Liebel" on Justia Law

The case revolves around a dispute over the ownership of five parcels of land in Aurora County, South Dakota. The plaintiff, Edward Mohnen, initiated a quiet title action to determine the ownership of these parcels, which were titled in his father's name after his father died intestate in 1969. The defendants included the estate of Edward's late brother, John Mohnen, and the John J. Mohnen Trust. John's Estate counterclaimed, asserting that it held a complete fee interest in all the disputed parcels through adverse possession and also asserted the affirmative defense of laches.The Circuit Court of the First Judicial Circuit in Aurora County, South Dakota, rejected both the laches defense and adverse possession theory. It determined ownership for the five tracts at issue, applying intestacy laws to evidence concerning the current state of record title.Upon review, the Supreme Court of the State of South Dakota reversed the lower court's decision. The Supreme Court held that the lower court erred in its interpretation of the adverse possession claim under South Dakota Codified Laws (SDCL) 15-3-15. The Supreme Court clarified that SDCL 15-3-15 requires only proof of “(1) claim and color of title made in good faith, (2) ten successive years in possession, and (3) payment of all taxes legally assessed.” The court found that John's Estate met these requirements and thus, reversed the lower court's decision denying John’s Estate’s adverse possession claim under SDCL 15-3-15. The case was remanded for further proceedings consistent with the Supreme Court's opinion. View "Mohnen v. Estate of Mohnen" on Justia Law

Harry David Evans, serving a life sentence for six criminal offenses including kidnapping, rape, burglary, assault, stalking, and violating a protection order, filed a writ of habeas corpus alleging ineffective assistance of counsel and violations of his rights to due process and to be free of unreasonable searches and seizures. The habeas court dismissed three of Evans' claims on the basis of res judicata as they were resolved in Evans' direct appeal. After an evidentiary hearing, the court denied the remaining claims and dismissed Evans' request for habeas relief.The Circuit Court of the Seventh Judicial Circuit in South Dakota had previously convicted Evans and his appeal was denied. Evans then filed a habeas corpus petition alleging nine claims, most of which alleged ineffective assistance of counsel. The habeas court granted the State’s motion to dismiss three of Evans’ claims on the basis of res judicata because they were effectively resolved in Evans’ direct appeal. After an evidentiary hearing, the court denied the remaining claims and dismissed Evans’ request for habeas relief.The Supreme Court of the State of South Dakota affirmed the lower court's decision. The court held that Evans' claims were resolved in his direct appeal and are barred by the doctrine of res judicata. Furthermore, Evans failed to establish that his counsel was ineffective for not calling a particular witness, not seeking to introduce cell phone records, and for not calling him to testify in his own defense. View "Evans v. Sullivan" on Justia Law

The case involves Wesley Castle's petition to adopt his stepchildren, I.V.E., C.A.E., and L.A.E. The children's biological father and ex-husband of Wesley's wife, Isaac Ellsaesser, objected to the petition, arguing that he does not consent to the adoption and that his consent cannot be waived under SDCL 25-6-4. The children's mother, Frances, had previously divorced Isaac due to a toxic and abusive relationship. Isaac had struggled with alcohol addiction and had faced domestic abuse charges. After the divorce, Isaac completed treatment for his addiction and attempted to reestablish a relationship with his children.The Circuit Court of the Fourth Judicial Circuit in Lawrence County, South Dakota, held an evidentiary hearing on whether Isaac’s consent could be waived. The court determined that Wesley did not prove any of the statutory grounds for waiver by clear and convincing evidence. The court entered an order denying Wesley’s petition, and Wesley appealed to the Supreme Court of the State of South Dakota.The Supreme Court of the State of South Dakota affirmed the lower court's decision. The court found that Wesley failed to establish by clear and convincing evidence that Isaac had substantially and continuously neglected his children or willfully neglected to pay child support. The court noted that Isaac had made several concerted efforts to reestablish a parental relationship with his children and had begun making child support payments after determining the amount he owed in arrears and how to pay. The court concluded that Isaac's failure to pay child support could not be considered willful under the circumstances. View "In the Matter of the Adoption of I.V.E." on Justia Law

Brandon Hahn was convicted by a jury for intentional damage to property, with the damage amount totaling more than $1,000 but less than $2,500. The property in question was the front door of 88-year-old Delores Moen's home, which Hahn was accused of damaging. Hahn was also charged with obstructing a public officer and disorderly conduct, the latter of which was later dismissed. The State presented multiple witnesses, including Delores' neighbors and the responding police officers, who testified about Hahn's aggressive conduct and their interactions with him. Hahn himself denied any responsibility for damaging the door.In the Circuit Court of the Seventh Judicial Circuit, Pennington County, South Dakota, Hahn moved for judgment of acquittal on the intentional damage to property charge, arguing that the State had not established the fair market value of the door, which he claimed included depreciation. The court denied his motion, concluding that the State could prove the damage amount element through evidence of the cost of reasonable repairs. Hahn was found guilty on both counts and was sentenced to an enhanced 15-year prison sentence on Count 1 with ten years suspended and a 30-day jail sentence on Count 2.In the Supreme Court of the State of South Dakota, Hahn appealed, claiming that the circuit court erred when it denied his motion for judgment of acquittal on the intentional damage to property charge. He argued that the jury could not properly apply the damage element without first establishing the fair market value of the property. The Supreme Court disagreed, stating that the current version of the intentional damage to property statute focuses on the "damage to property" and not the value of the property. The court concluded that there was sufficient evidence for the jury to find that the damage Hahn caused to Delores’ door was at least $1,000 but less than $2,500, and affirmed the circuit court's decision. View "State v. Hahn" on Justia Law

The case involves Melissa Palmer, who applied for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) benefits due to loss of income from her self-employment as a sign-language interpreter during the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite continuing to work her second job at Woofs and Waves, she did not report this income in her weekly requests for benefits. The South Dakota Department of Labor and Regulation, Reemployment Assistance Division (Department) determined that she had misrepresented her income and was therefore ineligible for the benefits she had received. The Department ordered her to repay the benefits and assessed a mandatory penalty.The administrative law judge (ALJ) upheld the Department's decision, finding that Palmer had willfully misrepresented her income. The circuit court affirmed the ALJ’s decision. Palmer appealed, arguing that she had not willfully misrepresented her income because she believed she only needed to report her self-employment income.The Supreme Court of the State of South Dakota reversed the lower courts' decisions. The Court found that the ALJ's finding that Palmer believed she only needed to report her self-employment income was inconsistent with the conclusion that she had willfully misrepresented her income. The Court held that a willful misrepresentation requires evidence of intentional misrepresentation, not merely knowledge of the falsity of the representation. The Court remanded the case for the ALJ to reconsider whether Palmer was at fault for the overpayment and whether she was eligible for a waiver. View "Palmer V. Dep’t Of Labor & Regulation" on Justia Law