3-17-7. Proceedings for removal of local officer--Pleadings and process. The proceedings for removal shall be in the nature of a special proceeding, and shall be brought in the name of the state by the state's attorney of the county in which the officer charged resides, upon his own relation, or by the attorney general of the state upon his own relation, and must be so brought by either of such officers when so directed by the Governor. Such proceeding shall be commenced by the filing of a complaint in the office of the clerk of courts of the proper county, which complaint shall contain a brief and concise statement of the facts constituting the cause of action, without unnecessary repetition and the issuance of a summons in the form of a relief summons in civil action, which summons shall require the defendant to answer the complaint within ten days after the date of service thereof, and shall be served by the sheriff or other officer authorized to serve process, by handing to and leaving with the defendant, personally, a copy of the summons, accompanied by a copy of the complaint, and such proceeding shall be brought on for hearing and determination upon a notice of not less than five days, served upon the opposite party or his attorney, except as hereinafter provided, whereupon it shall be the duty of the judge of the circuit court to at once appoint and hold a special term thereof, at which term the issues in such proceeding shall be heard and determined by the court.

Source: PolC 1877, ch 22, § 3; CL 1887, § 1387; RPolC 1903, § 1806; SL 1915, ch 268, § 1; RC 1919, § 7012; SL 1929, ch 214; SDC 1939, § 48.0204.