State v. Clements

South Dakota Supreme Court
2013 SD 43, 832 N.W.2d 485, 2013 S.D. 43 (2013)
ELI5:

Rule of Law:

A state law rendering a bigamous marriage legally void from its inception does not preclude criminal prosecution for bigamy, as the crime consists of the act of entering into a second marriage ceremony while a prior marriage exists, not the legal validity of the second marriage.


Facts:

  • Michael Clements married Kristi Anderson in North Dakota on December 6, 2009.
  • On April 15, 2011, Anderson filed for divorce from Clements.
  • Before the divorce from Anderson was finalized, Clements applied for and received a marriage license with Alicia Bjerke in Brown County, South Dakota on June 14, 2011.
  • On that same day, Clements and Bjerke participated in a marriage ceremony, which was solemnized at the Brown County Clerk of Courts office.
  • The marriage license for Clements and Bjerke was filed with the Brown County Register of Deeds the following day, June 15, 2011.

Procedural Posture:

  • The State of South Dakota charged Michael Clements with bigamy in the trial court.
  • Clements filed a motion to dismiss the information, arguing that it failed to state a public offense.
  • The trial court granted Clements' motion to dismiss.
  • The State, as appellant, appealed the trial court's order of dismissal to the Supreme Court of South Dakota.

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Issue:

Does a civil statute that declares a bigamous marriage legally void ab initio (from the beginning) make it legally impossible to prosecute an individual for the crime of bigamy?


Opinions:

Majority - Severson, Justice

No. A civil statute that declares a bigamous marriage void does not make it legally impossible to prosecute an individual for the crime of bigamy. The court reasoned that statutes must be construed as a whole to give effect to all provisions. Allowing the civil statute (SDCL 25-1-8), which voids bigamous marriages, to serve as a defense would effectively nullify the criminal statute (SDCL 22-22A-1) that prohibits bigamy—an unreasonable interpretation contrary to legislative intent. The court adopted the reasoning of other jurisdictions, holding that the crime of bigamy is committed by the act of entering into a purported second marriage ceremony while already having a living spouse. The offense lies in the unlawful act of going through the ceremony, not in the creation of a legally valid second marriage.



Analysis:

This decision harmonizes South Dakota's civil and criminal statutes concerning bigamy, preventing a defendant from using a legal paradox as a defense. By holding that the crime is the act of entering the second marriage ceremony, not the legal status of that marriage, the court ensures the enforceability of the bigamy statute. This ruling aligns South Dakota with the prevailing legal view in the United States and solidifies the principle that the actus reus (criminal act) of bigamy is the solemnization of the second marriage itself, regardless of its inherent invalidity.

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