Court Opinion

ID: 9515209
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-06 22:54:33.359197+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:06:26.130170
License: Public Domain

MEIERHENRY, Justice
(dissenting).
[¶ 28.] I respectfully dissent.
[¶ 29.] The dilemma here is how to give effect to all the provisions of the sex offender registration laws without compromising the confidentiality of the victim’s identity. The legislation (1) requires sex offenders to register, (2) makes the information public, arid, at the same time, (3) makes “the name or any identifying information” of the victim “confidential.” SDCL 22-22-31, -32.1, -40. A conflict arises among the provisions when the crime is identified as “incest.”. Incest by definition identifies a rather limited class of victims and • could breach the confidentiality the law affords the victim. The Chief of Police and Sheriff argue that the law requires the sex crime specifically be identified as incest when publicly disseminated. I do not agree.
[¶ 30.] A resolution to the conflict is found in the-plain and ordinary meaning of the statutory language. In applying rules of statutory construction, we have said:
In analyzing statutory language:
[W]e adhere to two primary rules of •statutory construction. The first rule is that the language expressed in the statute ' is the paramount consideration.
*926The second rule is that if the words and phrases in the statute have plain meaning and effect, we should simply declare their meaning and not resort to statutory construction.
When we must, however, resort to statutory construction, “[t]he intent of the legislature is ‘derived from the plain, ordinary and popular meaning of statutory language.’ ” (internal citations omitted).
Petition of West River Electric Assn., 2004 SD 11, ¶ 15, 675 N.W.2d 222, 226. The plain, ordinary and popular meaning of the wording of the statute does not require the sex offense be specifically identified as “incest” as the majority states. Initially, the law requires: “When a law enforcement official provides information from the sex offender registry, the information shall include the offender’s name, address, the type of sex crime convicted of, and the date of the commission of the crime and the date of conviction of any sex crime committed.” SDCL 22-22-32.1. (emphasis added). Additionally, the law prohibits “the release of the name or any identifying information regarding the victim of the crime to any person other than law enforcement agencies, and such victim identifying information is confidential.” SDCL 22-22-40. (emphasis added).
[¶ 31.] For purposes of sex offender registration, the law provides a list of crimes classified as sex crimes. SDCL 22-22-30.10 Only one of the crimes listed— sexual contact with a family member— identifies the crime specifically as “incest.” SDCL 22-22-30(4). The statutory definition of sexual contact with a family member, however, does not use the term “incest;” it provides:
Any person, fourteen years of age or older, who knowingly engages in sexual contact with another person, other than that person’s spouse, if the other person is under the age of twenty-one and is within the degree of consanguinity or affinity within which marriages are by *927the laws of this state declared void pursuant to § 25-1-6, is guilty of a Class 5 felony.
SDCL 22-22-19.1 (emphasis added). As to the crime of rape, the list simply includes, “Rape, as set forth in SDCL 22-22-1,” with no specific reference to incest. SDCL 22-22-30(l).11
[¶ 32.] The statute requires that the public be provided “the type of sex crime” committed. SDCL 22-22-32.1. According to Webster’s New World Dictionary, the word “type” is defined as “a kind, class, or group having distinguishing characteristics in common.” Webster’s New World Dictionary of the American Language 1538 (Second College Edition 1970). The plain and ordinary meaning of the statute only requires law enforcement to identify the sex crime by kind, class or group, ie. “type.” Consequently, in the case of rape of a family member or sexual contact with a family member, the specific crime of “incest” need not be identified. The statutory requirement is met by identifying the “type of crime” as the general category of (1) rape or (2) sexual contact. This is similar to the method used by the Department of Corrections (DOC) on its web page when it reports the crimes for which the prisoners are being held. DOC reports the general categories of “rape” and “sexual contact” and does not specifically identify “incest.” State of South Dakota, Department of Corrections (visited July 20, 2004) www.state.sd.us/correc-tions/adult — stats.htm. The identification of “type of crime” as rape and sexual contact rather than incest gives plain and ordinary meaning to the legislative language and satisfies the purpose of the legislation.
[¶ 33.] We have previously opined that the legislative purpose of the sex offender registration law is twofold: (1) “to alert the public in the interest of community safety” and (2) to assist law enforcement. Meinders v. Weber, 2000 SD 2, ¶ 13, 604 N.W.2d 248, 255. We said in Meinders,
We conclude that the Legislature’s intention in requiring registration was to accomplish the regulatory purpose of assisting law enforcement in identifying and tracking sex offenders to prevent *928future sex offenses, especially those against children. Furthermore, the purpose of the public access to registrant information as provided in SDCL 22-22-40 was to alert the public in the interest of community safety, and to prevent and promptly resolve incidents involving sexual offenses.
Id. Initially, the legislative purpose “of alerting the public in the interest of community safety” is satisfied by identifying the crime as “rape” or “sexual contact.” To note the crime specifically as incest only serves to narrow the class of victims to a small number capable of being identified. The size of the class of incest victims is limited to family members. The number of family members under the age of twenty-one is even smaller and, in some cases, may include only a couple of children. Publicly identifying the crime as “incest” significantly increases the risk of providing “identifying information of the victim” and may bring opprobrium on family members who were not victims. SDCL 22-22-40. It may also have the effect of making victims or family members reluctant to report the crimes knowing the registry will list the crime as incest. Often incest crimes go unreported because of the fear of public exposure and embarrassment created for the family, victim and perpetrator. Michele L. Earl-Hubbard, The Child Sex Offender Registration Laws: The Punishment, Liberty Deprivation, and Unintended Results Associated with the Scarlet Letter Laws of the 1990s, 90 NW U.L.Rev. 788, 856 (Winter, 1996). As one author noted, “Ironically, Megan’s Laws may stigmatize the very victims of sex offenses whom they are designed to protect, many of whom are children living in the same house as the sex offender.” Daniel J. So-love, The Virtues of Knowing Less: Justifying Privacy Protections Against Disclosure, 53 DUKE L.J. 967, 1060 (December 2003.)
[¶ 34.] Whether the perpetrator committed rape against a family member rather than raping a neighbor or neighbor’s child or a stranger does not make the perpetrator any more or less dangerous to the community. Identifying the perpetrator as a “rapist” or as having committed the crime of “sexual contact” alerts the public to the danger the offender poses to the community. It also protects the victim from being identified.
[¶ 35.] The additional purpose of “assisting law enforcement in identifying and tracking sex offenders to prevent future sex offenses” is not thwarted. Central to the sex offender registration law is the requirement that a convicted sex offender annually provide certain information to local law enforcement. SDCL 22-22-31 to-31.4. The offender must provide certain information about himself as well as the crime in the registration. SDCL 22-22-32.12 The information in the registration *929is forwarded to the Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI). DCI maintains a central file available to law enforcement statewide and to regional and national registries. SDCL 22-22-33 and -34. The DCI makes the file available to all local law enforcement and regional and national registries. SDCL 22-22-33, -34. Law enforcement has access to all the identifying information (including the specific crime) to assist it in tracking the registrants and preventing future offenses.
[¶ 36.] This action deals with a single case out of Minnehaha County. It is not clear whether all “incest” crimes are identified as such in Minnehaha County or elsewhere.13 The State admitted at oral argument that there is no statewide protocol established for law enforcement to identify sex crimes on the registry. Local law enforcement officers make the decision on how to publicly identify a crime under the registration law. Pennington County may not identify the sex crime as incest on the web page where Minnehaha County may, or vice versa. Consequently, the identifying information of the victim may be avoided in one area and not in another. Beyond this case, it is unknown if any local law enforcement agency actually uses the term “incest” when providing information to the public on the “type of sex crime.”
[¶ 37.] I would reverse the trial court and remand with direction for the trial court to grant the applicant’s writ of prohibition in part. The Chief of Police and Sheriff should not be prohibited from listing incest offenders on the Sex Offender Registry; however, they should be prohibited from publicly identifying the crime as “incest.”
[¶ 38.] SABERS, Justice, joins this dissent.

. SDCL 22-22-30 provides:
For the purposes of §§ 22-22-31 to 22-22-39, inclusive, a sex crime is any of the following crimes regardless of the date of the commission of the offense or the date of conviction:
(1) Rape as set forth in § 22-22-1;
(2) Sexual contact with a minor under sixteen as set forth in § 22-22-7 if committed by an adult and the adult is convicted of a felony;
(3) Sexual contact with a person incapable of consenting as set forth in § 22-22-7.2 if committed by an adult;
(4) Incest as set forth in § 22-22-19.1 if committed by an adult;
(5) Possessing, manufacturing, or distributing child pornography as set forth in § 22-22-24.2;
(6) Sale of child pornography as set forth in § 22-22-24;
(7) Sexual exploitation of a minor as set forth in § 22-22-24.3;
(8) Kidnapping, as set forth in § 22-19-1, if the victim of the criminal act is a minor;
(9) Promotion of prostitution of a minor as set forth in subdivision 22-23-2(2);
(10) Criminal pedophilia as set forth in § 22-22-30.1;
(11) Felony indecent exposure as set forth in former § 22-24-1 or indecent exposure as set forth in § 22-24-1.2;
(12) Solicitation of a minor as set forth in § 22-22-24.5;
(13) Felony aggravated indecent exposure as set forth in § 22-24-1.3;
(14) Bestiality as set forth in § 22-22-42;
(15) An attempt to commit any of the crimes listed in this section;
(16) Any crime committed in a place other than this state which would constitute a sex crime under this section if committed in this state;
(17) Any federal crime or court martial that would constitute a sex crime under federal law; or
(18) Any crime committed in another state if that state also requires that anyone convicted of that crime register as a sex offender in that state.

. SDCL 22-22-1 defines Rape:
Rape is an act of sexual penetration accomplished with any person under any of the following circumstances:
(1) If the victim is less than ten years of age; or
(2) Through the use of force, coercion, or threats of immediate and great bodily harm against the victim or other persons within the victim’s presence, accompanied by apparent power of execution; or
(3) If the victim is incapable, because of physical or mental incapacity, of giving consent to such act; or
(4) If the victim is incapable of giving consent because of any intoxicating, narcotic, or anesthetic agent or hypnosis; or
(5) If the victim is ten years of age, but less than sixteen years of age, and the perpetrator is at least three years older than the victim; or
(6) If persons who are not legally married and who are within degrees of consanguinity within which marriages are by the laws of this state declared void pursuant to § 25-1-6, which is also defined as incest; or
(7) If the victim is ten years of age but less than eighteen years of age and is the child of a spouse or former spouse of the perpetrator.
A violation of subdivision (1) of this section is rape in the first degree, which is a Class 1 felony. A violation of subdivision (2), (3), or (4) of this section is rape in the second degree, which is a Class 2 felony. A violation of subdivision (5), (6), or (7) of this section is rape in the third degree, which is a Class 3 felony. Notwithstanding § 23A-42-2 a charge brought pursuant to this section may be commenced at any time prior to the time the victim becomes age twenty-five or within seven years of the commission of the crime, whichever is longer.

. SDCL 22-22-32 lists the information required:
The registration shall include the following information:
(1) Name and all aliases used;
(2) Complete description, photographs, and fingerprints;
(3) Residence, length of time at that residence, and length of time expected to remain at that residence;
(4) The type of sex crime convicted of; and
(5) The date of commission and the date of conviction of any sex crime committed;
(6) Social Security number on a separate confidential form;
(7) Driver license number and state of issuance;
(8) Whether or not the registrant is receiving or has received any sex offender treatment;
(9) Employer name, address, and phone number or school name, address, and phone number;
(10) Length of employment or length of attendance at school; and
(11) Occupation or vocation.
*929Any failure to accurately provide the information required by this section is a Class 1 misdemeanor.

. A Sioux Falls police detective in charge of the sex registry for Minnehaha County identified six registered sex offenders who had been convicted of incest.