Opinion ID: 1303679
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: facts

Text: Kay Weegar gave birth to Casie Kenyon, her daughter, in 1979 out of wedlock. When her child was born, Weegar was receiving Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) from the State of South Dakota. She assigned her right to receive child support to the State and named Michael Bakeberg as the putative father of her child. In 1979, the statute of limitations under SDCL 25-8-9 to bring a paternity action was two years. In June, 1979 a summons and complaint for paternity was executed and service of process was attempted. It was learned at that time that Bakeberg had left the state for California. Though attempts were made, no action was brought by either Weegar or the State of South Dakota to establish paternity within this two year period. In 1983, the statute was amended providing six years to bring such an action. The State, through its Department of Social Services (DSS), sued Bakeberg for child support under the amended statute. Bakeberg moved to dismiss the action, raising the two-year statute of limitations. The trial court denied his motion, holding the two-year statute of limitations was unconstitutional. The court's decision was not appealed. Blood tests performed in 1984 established a 99.5561% probability that Bakeberg was the father of Casie. DSS settled its claim against Bakeberg in 1985 and the case was dismissed without prejudice to Weegar. Kay Weegar, who had since married and was living in Florida, was unaware of the settlement. When she contacted DSS in 1992 to assist her in establishing paternity, DSS declined based on its 1985 settlement with Bakeberg. Weegar and her daughter, Casie, now aged fifteen, then brought an action of their own to establish paternity and payment of child support from 1985 to the present. This appeal arises from the trial court's dismissal of that action.