South Dakota Unified Judicial System

South Dakota Unified Judicial System Our vision is justice for all.

The South Dakota Unified Judicial System (UJS) is dedicated to providing a fair, impartial and accessible court system that upholds the rule of law and is worthy of the public's trust and confidence.

Dakota Plains Legal Services will be bringing the Justice Bus to the Scherr Howe Event Center at 212 N. Main St. in Mobr...
08/25/2026

Dakota Plains Legal Services will be bringing the Justice Bus to the Scherr Howe Event Center at 212 N. Main St. in Mobridge on Wednesday, Aug. 26, 1-3 p.m. Come say hello and see what the Justice Bus is all about! Learn more about the Justice Bus at https://www.dpls.org/justicebus.

UJS will hold a series of public forums on Wednesday, Aug. 26, to share information and gather public input on a propose...
08/25/2026

UJS will hold a series of public forums on Wednesday, Aug. 26, to share information and gather public input on a proposed merger of the Fourth Judicial Circuit and Seventh Judicial Circuit in Western South Dakota.

The public forum locations are:
• Rapid City: Pennington County Courthouse (Courtroom C2), 315 St. Joseph St., 8:30-9:30 a.m. MDT
• Sturgis: Meade County Courthouse (Courtroom 3), 1425 Sherman St., 11 a.m.-noon MDT
• Lemmon: Lonesome Dove Conference Center, 312 Main Ave., 3:30-4:30 p.m. MDT

During the forums, the State Court Administrator’s Office will give a short presentation, followed by an opportunity for public comments and questions. The proposed merger is intended to increase operational efficiencies for UJS.

The Fourth Judicial Circuit currently consists of Butte, Corson, Dewey, Harding, Lawrence, Meade, Perkins and Ziebach counties. The Seventh Judicial Circuit currently consists of Custer, Fall River, Oglala Lakota and Pennington counties.

Learn about the proposal, what it would—and would not—change, and how to provide public input at https://ujs.sd.gov/about-us/circuit-merger-proposal.

The South Dakota Unified Judicial System is hiring a Deputy Court Clerk - Magistrate I in Britton for the Fifth Judicial...
08/24/2026

The South Dakota Unified Judicial System is hiring a Deputy Court Clerk - Magistrate I in Britton for the Fifth Judicial Circuit. This is a temporary, part-time (12 hours per week), non-benefited, on-call position.

This position assists with cases filed with the court clerk's office including criminal, civil, traffic and other cases from initial filing to final disposition by developing and maintaining case files, assisting with scheduling and assigning hearings, assisting in courtroom proceedings, and implementing procedures for monetary dispositions; provides customer services daily to a wide variety of individuals and agencies; performs magistrate duties as assigned; and acts on behalf of the court clerk in his or her absence.

The salary for this position is $20.22 per hour. The job ID is 37168, and the position is open until filled. Learn more and apply at https://ujs.sd.gov/careers.

The South Dakota Supreme Court will be in session on Wednesday and Thursday, Aug. 26-27, 2026, in the Supreme Court Cour...
08/24/2026

The South Dakota Supreme Court will be in session on Wednesday and Thursday, Aug. 26-27, 2026, in the Supreme Court Courtroom in Pierre. Learn about the cases and listen live at https://ujs.sd.gov/supreme-court/term-of-court.

Turner County Court offices remain closed on Friday, Aug. 21, 2026. Offices will reopen on Monday, Aug. 24, 2026, in the...
08/21/2026

Turner County Court offices remain closed on Friday, Aug. 21, 2026. Offices will reopen on Monday, Aug. 24, 2026, in the new Turner County Courthouse.

08/21/2026

A career as a Court Services Officer is much more than supervising probation. Court Services Officers work with adults and youth to help them successfully navigate the justice system and move forward in their communities.

They meet with individuals and families, assess needs and challenges, connect people with treatment and community resources, provide information and recommendations to judges, and help those on probation stay accountable and work toward positive change.

Hear from two UJS Court Services Officers about what the job is really like, why their work matters, and what they find most rewarding about serving their communities.

The next Court Improvement Program training "Child Welfare Proceedings & Courtroom Practice" will be held virtually on W...
08/20/2026

The next Court Improvement Program training "Child Welfare Proceedings & Courtroom Practice" will be held virtually on Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2026, at noon CDT.

The presenter is Nicole Laughlin with Laughlin Law. Nicole received her juris doctor from the University of South Dakota School of Law in 2006. She has also taught as an adjunct professor at the University of South Dakota, teaching courses for criminal procedure and legal research and writing.

Register for this free session at https://sdcpcm.com/events/aug2026-cip.

Fourth Circuit DUI Court will hold a graduation ceremony on Thursday, Aug. 27, 2026, at noon MDT in the upstairs courtro...
08/20/2026

Fourth Circuit DUI Court will hold a graduation ceremony on Thursday, Aug. 27, 2026, at noon MDT in the upstairs courtroom at the Lawrence County Courthouse, 78 Sherman St., Deadwood.

The commencement will include notes from Treatment Court Judge Francy Foral, and the keynote speaker will be Emily Meyer, a treatment counselor at Compass Point. Each graduate will also share their personal experiences with the treatment court process and be presented with their certificate by Judge Foral. The event is open to the public and media.

Fourth Circuit Treatment Courts covers Butte, Lawrence and Meade Counties in western South Dakota. Fourth Circuit DUI Court is held in Deadwood, and Northern Hills Drug Court is held in Sturgis. These weekly courts began in 2007.

Treatment courts are the most successful intervention for leading people living with substance use and mental health disorders out of the criminal justice system and into lives of recovery and stability. Learn more about South Dakota’s treatment courts at https://ujs.sd.gov/programs-services/treatment-courts.

The Justice Bus is hitting the road again! Join Dakota Plains Legal Services in Pierre at Rawlins Municipal Library, 100...
08/19/2026

The Justice Bus is hitting the road again!

Join Dakota Plains Legal Services in Pierre at Rawlins Municipal Library, 1000 E. Church St., on Thursday, Aug. 20, 2026, 4-7 p.m. CDT, for free legal information, resources and support.

The Justice Bus is South Dakota's first mobile legal aid office. Learn more at https://www.dpls.org/justicebus.

The South Dakota Unified Judicial System (UJS) will hold a series of public forums Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2026, to share in...
08/19/2026

The South Dakota Unified Judicial System (UJS) will hold a series of public forums Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2026, to share information and gather public input on a potential merger of the Fourth and Seventh judicial circuits before any formal rule proposal is submitted to the South Dakota Supreme Court.

The public forum locations are:
• Rapid City: Pennington County Courthouse (Courtroom C2), 315 St. Joseph St., 8:30-9:30 a.m. MDT
• Sturgis: Meade County Courthouse (Courtroom 3), 1425 Sherman St., 11 a.m.-noon MDT
• Lemmon: Lonesome Dove Conference Center, 312 Main Ave., 3:30-4:30 p.m. MDT

The UJS State Court Administrator’s Office has proposed to the South Dakota Supreme Court consideration of a merger of the administrative structures of the Fourth Judicial Circuit and Seventh Judicial Circuit. During the forums, the State Court Administrator’s Office will give a short presentation, followed by an opportunity for public comments and questions.

The Fourth Judicial Circuit consists of Butte, Corson, Dewey, Harding, Lawrence, Meade, Perkins and Ziebach counties. The Seventh Judicial Circuit consists of Custer, Fall River, Oglala Lakota and Pennington counties. The proposed merger is intended to increase operational efficiencies for UJS.

Learn more about the public forums at https://bit.ly/4bWrvW5.

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500 East Capitol Avenue
Pierre, SD
57501

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