The South Dakota Unified Judicial System’s State Court Administrator’s Office is seeking public input on a proposal to merge the administrative structures of the Fourth and Seventh Judicial Circuits in western South Dakota.
The proposed merger is aimed at improving operational efficiency within the court system. The Fourth Judicial Circuit includes Butte, Corson, Dewey, Harding, Lawrence, Meade, Perkins, and Ziebach counties, while the Seventh Judicial Circuit serves Custer, Fall River, Oglala Lakota, and Pennington counties.
To gather feedback, public forums will be held on Aug. 26, 2026, in Rapid City, Sturgis, and Lemmon. The meetings will include a presentation from the State Court Administrator’s Office followed by opportunities for public questions and comments.
Written comments may be submitted by email or mail through Oct. 1, 2026.
South Dakota’s court system currently consists of seven judicial circuits operating under the state’s unified judicial system.
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