Nearly two-thousand South Dakota juveniles were successfully diverted from the state’s court system this year, according to a new report. A 2024 law has added fiscal incentive for counties to continue these diversion efforts. When low-risk youth are diverted from the court system, they are 45-percent less likely to reoffend, according to the Annie E. Casey Foundation.

Diversion can take many forms, from mural-painting to skateboarding programs. State’s Attorney Lara Roetzel in Pennington County, where diversion programs have been used for about 25 years, says they can help unveil the root cause of a child’s misbehavior.

Continue reading “A year of growth for diverting juveniles in SD” →

On behalf of our entire team, we wish you an excellent end of the year and a 2025 full of new opportunities and successes. Happy New Year!

All you have to do to become a South Dakota resident is spend one night.

Stay in a campground or hotel and then stop by one of the businesses that specialize in helping people become South Dakotans, and they’ll help you do the paperwork to gain residency in a state with no income tax and relatively cheap vehicle registration.

The system brings in extra government revenue through vehicle fees and offers refuge to full-time travelers who wouldn’t otherwise have a permanent address or a place to vote.

Continue reading “Some say South Dakota residency is too easy” →

May your holiday season be filled with joy, rest, and moments of reflection. We want to express our gratitude for your continued trust. May the season bring you joy and a renewed sense of inspiration for the New Year!

Federal officers used pepper spray and shot and killed a young man with a criminal history moments after he livestreamed himself brushing his teeth in the basement of a tribal housing unit on the Yankton Sioux Reservation.

Zander Zephier, 23, died Nov. 27 just north of this southeast South Dakota town, about 40 minutes after the U.S. Marshals Service arrived to arrest him on an outstanding warrant.

Continue reading “Man killed in raid on Yankton Sioux Reservation” →

Federal judges work to ensure equal justice under the law. Learn about the different kinds of federal judges and the cases they hear.

Continue reading “Types of Federal Judges” →

Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird is calling for a constitutional amendment to ensure that child victims of crime do not have to testify inside a courtroom alongside their alleged abusers.

In June, the Iowa Supreme Court overturned the conviction of a man who argued it was unconstitutional for two children to testify against him though a live, closed-circuit video link that allowed the children to sit in a remote location just outside the courtroom.

Continue reading “Iowa AG pushes for constitutional amendment on child testimony” →

An effective and efficient system of indigent defense is important for all South Dakotans. South Dakota has devoted a couple years of study, discussion and legislative action to the issue. Judges, prosecutors and defense attorneys, county commissioners, legislators and others have all worked together in this effort. This broad cooperation reflects the importance of the issue and provides a foundation to successfully tackle it.

Last year, the Legislature created and funded the Commission on Indigent Legal Services and a statewide public defender office. They are tasked with developing standards for assigning cases, providing training to private lawyers who take appointments, and handling appeals in criminal cases across South Dakota.

Continue reading “An exciting turning point for the defense of people who can’t afford lawyers” →

Complaints about law enforcement have steadily risen over the past few years, owing in part to an online portal that simplifies the process of making a complaint to the state Division of Criminal Investigation about alleged police misconduct.

Even with the rise, though, fewer than 1% of certified officers in South Dakota were disciplined for their behavior in 2024.

Continue reading “Police commission: Complaints against cops rising, but fewer than 1% of SD officers disciplined” →

Between Eric Holder’s soft-on-crime memo, James Comey’s election meddling, and Jack Smith’s incessant lawfare, the United States Department of Justice has spent much of the last two decades in the proverbial wilderness. The incoming Trump administration has the opportunity and incentive to reshape DOJ. Here are five steps it can take to restore a department in desperate need of change.

Row the boat or get thrown overboard. It’s time for line federal prosecutors—Assistant United States Attorneys—to get back to work. In 2010, federal prosecutors brought 68,591 new federal criminal cases. By 2023, the same number of U.S. attorneys were handling just 49,913 new cases, a huge drop. You would have to go back to 1998 to find a year with fewer federal prosecutions.

Continue reading “Five Ways to Right the Department of Justice” →