Parents Lose Lawyer Rights for Bad Behavior | Sioux Falls News

Sioux Falls News Today | 2 Min News | The Daily News Now! · Sep 18, 2026 · 1m

South Dakota’s Supreme Court just handed down a bold ruling: parents who repeatedly drive their appointed lawyers away may lose their right to legal counsel — even if they’re in court for parental rights. A dad’s behavior spiraled so badly — he threatened his first lawyer, then alienated his replacement — that the judge refused a third attorney and the dad appealed all the way to the state’s highest court. The justices unanimously sided with the judge, saying the dad was warned multiple times and knowingly waived his right to counsel by refusing to cooperate. Chief Justice Jensen wrote that…