Proof of abandonment or desertion of a child by a parent, or the omission by a parent to furnish necessary food, clothing, shelter, medical attendance, other remedial care, or other means of support for his child is prima facie evidence that the abandonment, desertion, or omission is intentional and without lawful excuse.
S.D. Codified Laws § 25-7-17
Abandonment or nonsupport of child by parent as prima facie evidence of intent
Applied in 4 court decisions — leading case In Re the Guardianship of S.M.N. (2010)
Most recently applied in In Re the Guardianship of S.M.N. (April 2010)
Source: SDC 1939, § 13.3204 as enacted by SL 1963, ch 56, § 1; SL 1982, ch 195, § 1.
How often courts cite this section
Court decisions citing this, by year. The dip in the last several years is a data-coverage gap, not a real trend — our corpus holds fewer opinions from the most recent years, so recent citations are undercounted.
Official source: South Dakota Legislature. Reproduced from public-domain South Dakota statutes; confirm against the official source for the current text. Not legal advice.