A ceremonial investiture for newly appointed South Dakota Supreme Court Justice Robert Gusinsky will take place Friday, Jan. 9, 2026, at 4 p.m. MST in the Pennington County Courthouse rotunda in Rapid City. Gusinsky succeeds retired Justice Janine M. Kern.
Born in Latvia, Gusinsky immigrated to the U.S. as a child and later earned an aeronautical engineering degree from Embry‑Riddle before shifting careers and graduating from the University of South Dakota School of Law in 1996. He practiced law in Rapid City, served as an assistant U.S. attorney, and was appointed a circuit court judge in 2013, becoming presiding judge of the Seventh Judicial Circuit in 2024.
Gov. Larry Rhoden appointed Gusinsky to the Supreme Court, where he began serving on Dec. 9, 2025. He represents the First District, covering Custer, Meade, Lawrence, and Pennington counties.
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