Groups that assist crime victims across the United States are bracing for significant financial pain after the amount available from a major federal victim services fund plunged $700 million this year.
Congress recently lowered spending to $1.2 billion from the fund, which provides grants to nonprofit and local programs across the country.
South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley has revealed that 13 tribal law enforcement officers, along with an additional 11 local and state officers, are set to participate in the state’s inaugural tribal law enforcement training session starting on June 3 in Pierre.
Governor Kristi Noem and Attorney General Jackley announced in April the introduction of the first basic certification course to be conducted in South Dakota. Previously, only a few tribal officers received training in the state, with the majority trained in New Mexico, necessitating extended time away from their families. The 13-week course, taking place at the George S. Mickelson Criminal Justice Center, allows tribal officers to return home on weekends.
“We thank Gov. Noem for her support of this training session, and our tribes for trusting us with their officers,” said Attorney General Jackley. “Training tribal officers alongside state and local officers serving near our reservations strengthens relationships, increases consistency, and makes sense for South Dakota.”
The training will include tribal officers from the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, Oglala Sioux Tribe, and Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate Sioux Tribe. The remainder of the 24-member class will be comprised of officers from various non-tribal law enforcement agencies.
Participants are mandated to complete coursework covering a range of topics, including law, arrest control tactics, firearms, vehicle handling, and criminal investigations. The program is instructed by full-time staff from the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) and adjunct instructors from law enforcement agencies statewide.
“We also want to thank U.S. Attorney Alison Ramsdell and the BIA for providing instructors to help with the Special Law Enforcement Commission component of the training course,” said Attorney General Jackley.
Graduation for this class is scheduled for Sept 3 in Pierre.
You can read the full article at NewsCenter1.
In a significant move to enhance legal representation for individuals unable to afford an attorney, South Dakota is in the process of establishing a new statewide office. The aim is to ensure that those with the right to counsel under state or federal law receive improved legal services.
During its inaugural meeting on May 16, 2024, the Commission on Indigent Legal Services took a crucial step by approving the posting of a job announcement. The announcement is for the position of chief defender, who will lead the newly created Office of Indigent Legal Services. The chief defender will be tasked with overseeing a team of public defense professionals, with the goal of providing comprehensive indigent representation services across South Dakota. This includes handling appeals of criminal cases, habeas corpus petitions, and cases involving the abuse or neglect of children.
Minnesota has expunged nearly 58,000 misdemeanor cannabis records ahead of schedule, state officials announced Monday.
The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) said it’s completed the process of expunging misdemeanor cannabis records as required by the state’s recreational marijuana law. State officials had previously expected to finish that work by August.
Continue reading “Minnesota expunges nearly 58,000 misdemeanor cannabis records”
A year after Congress blocked D.C.’s revised criminal code, complaining it was soft on crime, the House has gone a step further by passing its own D.C. crime bill.
The House passed the D.C. CRIMES Act on Wednesday with 225 votes, garnering support from Republicans as well as 18 Democrats. Proponents said the intention of the bill is to “immediately make everyone safer” in the District of Columbia. 181 no votes were also cast.
Continue reading “Congress aims to exert control over D.C. crime with new bill”
The U.S. Justice Department sued Iowa on Thursday over its new law that would give the state the authority to arrest and deport some migrants, making it the second lawsuit filed in a single day that seeks to block legislation passed earlier this year by state lawmakers.
Both the Justice Department’s lawsuit and another suit filed by civil rights and immigrant rights groups argued the state law was preempted by federal law and should be declared invalid.
A criminal conviction, whether for minor offenses like petty theft, DUI, or more severe felonies, can cast a long shadow over an individual’s future. However, avenues are available to seal these records and move forward, as reported by C.J. Keene with SDPB.
In South Dakota, one such pathway is expungement, a legal process that starts at the local clerk of courts office. The process comes with a flat fee of $70, as stipulated by state law.
Continue reading “Navigating the Expungement Process in South Dakota”
Treatment courts across South Dakota will hold special events in May to celebrate National Treatment Court Month.
Rather than continuing the revolving door of addiction and related crime, treatment courts lead people with substance use and mental health disorders out of the justice system and into lives of recovery, stability and health. South Dakota’s 17 treatment courts have planned uplifting events to recognize individuals whose lives have been transformed by the treatment and support provided by these programs.
Continue reading “South Dakota treatment courts plan special events in May”
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration will move to reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous drug, The Associated Press has learned, a historic shift to generations of American drug policy that could have wide ripple effects across the country.
The proposal, which still must be reviewed by the White House Office of Management and Budget, would recognize the medical uses of cannabis and acknowledge it has less potential for abuse than some of the nation’s most dangerous drugs. However, it would not legalize marijuana outright for recreational use.
Beyond taxes and education spending, the Iowa Legislature passed numerous laws creating new crimes, increasing penalties for others — which were not listed as priorities before the session’s start.
While they were not as high-profile as some education and state government bills during the session, these changes to Iowa’s criminal code and regulatory structure together made up the majority of the 151 bills the Legislature passed this year. Judiciary bills that did make waves during session included criminalizing being an undocumented migrant in the state and authorizing state law enforcement to deport undocumented people they find in Iowa, and creating immunity for people acting based on their religious belief.
Continue reading “Iowa Legislature creates new crimes, stiffer punishments during session”