Tracy Germait has waited more than two years for a public defender in her Brown County felony drug cases.
In the time since her two cases were first opened, Germait has worked on turning her life around: She has led two addiction support groups, became a certified peer support specialist, worked toward her bachelor’s degree in criminal justice online from Colorado Tech University, gained custody of her three children and has stayed clean for 18 months.
Hundreds of people were ticketed or arrested during a state-funded saturation patrol that put 15 additional state troopers on the streets of South Dakota’s largest city last week.
The troopers labored from Aug. 27 through Aug. 29 under the banner of “Operation Prairie Thunder,” a two-pronged public safety initiative announced in July by Republican Gov. Larry Rhoden.
Six federal judges in South Carolina, including Chief U.S. Judge Timothy Cain, have written a letter highlighting a critical money shortage in the state’s federal criminal justice system.
The situation they shine a light on involves a lack of federal funds to pay South Carolina’s 127 private criminal defense attorneys — called “panel attorneys” — who are financed with public money to represent indigent defendants charged with federal crimes, wrote U.S. Judge Timothy Cain, a former state judge and former law partner of U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C.
Continue reading “SC federal judges warn of dire money situation in federal criminal courts”
A new study from Iowa State University, published in the South Dakota Law Review, shows that over half of rural U.S. counties lack enough lawyers—including more than 20 in South Dakota. The shortage affects access to legal help for criminal, family, and estate matters.
South Dakota’s medical cannabis industry voiced its support for sting operations targeting sellers of hemp products that create a marijuana-like high.
The comments from Jeremiah Murphy, a lobbyist for the Cannabis Industry Association of South Dakota, came during Tuesday’s meeting of the state’s Medical Marijuana Oversight Committee.
Murphy’s association represents the state’s 116 licensed medical cannabis cultivators, manufacturers and dispensaries.
Continue reading “Cannabis group applauds compliance checks for hemp-based THC products”
South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley has announced he is leading a bipartisan coalition of 11 attorneys general in filing an amicus brief to support American cattle ranchers. The brief targets manufacturers who are using a “Product of USA” label on foreign-sourced beef products.
The legal action stems from a lawsuit filed by South Dakota ranchers in federal court after the U.S. Department of Agriculture initially allowed manufacturers to use the “Product of USA” label on beef from other countries. A District Court previously ruled in favor of the ranchers, and the case is now on appeal to the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals.
The South Dakota Department of Social Services (DSS) is advising all Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients to immediately change their personal identification numbers (PINs) to protect their benefits from theft. This warning comes after the discovery that more than 350 SNAP beneficiaries in the Sioux Falls area had their benefits stolen.
An investigation revealed that skimming devices were likely placed on point-of-sale terminals at the Walmart Supercenter on East Arrowwood Parkway and at several Dollar General stores in Sioux Falls. These devices illegally captured individuals’ SNAP account numbers and PINs, which were then used to process fraudulent transactions out of state.
Continue reading “SNAP Recipients Urged to Change PINs After Thefts in Sioux Falls”
More federal law enforcement officers will be patrolling D.C. streets over the next coming days to combat crime and, in the words of President Donald Trump’s administration, make the city safe again.
District residents can expect to see the increased presence starting Friday at midnight, according to a statement from White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt.
State, county, and city law enforcement leaders are seeing a surge in activity in Sturgis along with the swelling population due to the motorcycle rally.
At Monday’s news conference, Sturgis Police Chief Geody Vanderwater, Meade County Sheriff Pat West, and South Dakota Highway Patrol Assistant District Three Commander Zac Bader shared the latest crime and safety statistics from the first weekend of the rally.
Continue reading “Sturgis Motorcycle Rally: ‘Overall, people are being well behaved’”
The South Dakota Commission on Gaming is issuing a public warning about a rise in fraudulent online casinos that are deceptively using the names and logos of legitimate South Dakota gaming establishments. These unauthorized platforms, which operate illegally, are designed to trick consumers and pose significant financial and personal security risks.
According to the Commission, online casino gaming, including slots, table games, and sports wagering, is not legal in South Dakota. Any platform offering these services is operating without authorization. The Commission has received reports of misleading online ads and social media promotions that imitate the branding of well-known Deadwood and Tribal casinos, offer unrealistic bonuses, and redirect users to fake websites or apps.
Continue reading “South Dakota Gaming Commission Issues Warning Against Fraudulent Online Casinos”