South Dakota Supreme Court
Encyclopedia
The South Dakota Supreme Court is the highest court in the state of South Dakota
. It is composed of a chief justice
and four associate justice
s appointed by governor and selected from five different appointment districts. Justices face a nonpolitical retention election three years after appointment and every eight years after that. The justices also select their own chief justice.
The Supreme Court of South Dakota serves as the final appellate court
in the state, reviewing the decisions of state circuit court
s. The Supreme Court is also authorized to issue original or remedial writ
s and provide advice to the governor regarding the scope of executive powers
, then six in 1884, and eight in 1888.
In 1889, the Dakota Territory
was split into North Dakota
and South Dakota, and the Territorial Supreme Court was formally dissolved by President Benjamin Harrison
. An election was held in South Dakota to select the first state supreme court. Justices Dighton Corson
, Alphonso G. Kellam
, and John E. Bennett were elected and sworn-in October 15, 1889. Since there was no capitol building yet for the new state, the oath-taking ceremony took place on the Hughes County
courthouse veranda. The court was forced to use the county courthouse until 1891 when they began holding court in the state legislature's senate chambers. The South Dakota Supreme Court did not receive their own chambers until the autumn of 1905.
Past justices of the Supreme Court including justices of the Dakota Territorial Supreme Court.
South Dakota
South Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux American Indian tribes. Once a part of Dakota Territory, South Dakota became a state on November 2, 1889. The state has an area of and an estimated population of just over...
. It is composed of a chief justice
Chief Justice
The Chief Justice in many countries is the name for the presiding member of a Supreme Court in Commonwealth or other countries with an Anglo-Saxon justice system based on English common law, such as the Supreme Court of Canada, the Constitutional Court of South Africa, the Court of Final Appeal of...
and four associate justice
Associate Justice
Associate Justice or Associate Judge is the title for a member of a judicial panel who is not the Chief Justice in some jurisdictions. The title "Associate Justice" is used for members of the United States Supreme Court and some state supreme courts, and for some other courts in Commonwealth...
s appointed by governor and selected from five different appointment districts. Justices face a nonpolitical retention election three years after appointment and every eight years after that. The justices also select their own chief justice.
The Supreme Court of South Dakota serves as the final appellate court
Appellate court
An appellate court, commonly called an appeals court or court of appeals or appeal court , is any court of law that is empowered to hear an appeal of a trial court or other lower tribunal...
in the state, reviewing the decisions of state circuit court
Circuit court
Circuit court is the name of court systems in several common law jurisdictions.-History:King Henry II instituted the custom of having judges ride around the countryside each year to hear appeals, rather than forcing everyone to bring their appeals to London...
s. The Supreme Court is also authorized to issue original or remedial writ
Writ
In common law, a writ is a formal written order issued by a body with administrative or judicial jurisdiction; in modern usage, this body is generally a court...
s and provide advice to the governor regarding the scope of executive powers
Executive (government)
Executive branch of Government is the part of government that has sole authority and responsibility for the daily administration of the state bureaucracy. The division of power into separate branches of government is central to the idea of the separation of powers.In many countries, the term...
, then six in 1884, and eight in 1888.
In 1889, the Dakota Territory
Dakota Territory
The Territory of Dakota was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from March 2, 1861, until November 2, 1889, when the final extent of the reduced territory was split and admitted to the Union as the states of North and South Dakota.The Dakota Territory consisted of...
was split into North Dakota
North Dakota
North Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States of America, along the Canadian border. The state is bordered by Canada to the north, Minnesota to the east, South Dakota to the south and Montana to the west. North Dakota is the 19th-largest state by area in the U.S....
and South Dakota, and the Territorial Supreme Court was formally dissolved by President Benjamin Harrison
Benjamin Harrison
Benjamin Harrison was the 23rd President of the United States . Harrison, a grandson of President William Henry Harrison, was born in North Bend, Ohio, and moved to Indianapolis, Indiana at age 21, eventually becoming a prominent politician there...
. An election was held in South Dakota to select the first state supreme court. Justices Dighton Corson
Dighton Corson
-Biography:In 1827 Dighton was born to Isaac and Nancy Corson in Maine. He would live in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and Virginia City, Nevada before eventually moving to South Dakota. In 1915 he died in Pierre, South Dakota. Corson County, South Dakota is named for him....
, Alphonso G. Kellam
Alphonso G. Kellam
Alphonso George Kellam was an officer in the American Civil War, a lawyer, a politician, and one of the original justices of the South Dakota Supreme Court....
, and John E. Bennett were elected and sworn-in October 15, 1889. Since there was no capitol building yet for the new state, the oath-taking ceremony took place on the Hughes County
Hughes County, South Dakota
As of the census of 2000, there were 16,481 people, 6,512 households, and 4,310 families residing in the county. The population density was 22 people per square mile . There were 7,055 housing units at an average density of 10 per square mile...
courthouse veranda. The court was forced to use the county courthouse until 1891 when they began holding court in the state legislature's senate chambers. The South Dakota Supreme Court did not receive their own chambers until the autumn of 1905.
Supreme Court Justices
The current justices of the South Dakota Supreme Court| Title | Name | Appointment | Current Term Ends | Law School Graduated From |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chief Justice | David Gilbertson David Gilbertson David Gilbertson is chief justice of the South Dakota Supreme Court.Gilbertson attended South Dakota State University, graduating in 1972. He then graduated from the University of South Dakota's School of Law in 1975... |
1995 | University of South Dakota University of South Dakota The University of South Dakota ', the state’s oldest university, was founded in 1862 and classes began in 1882. Located in Vermillion, South Dakota, United States, USD is home to South Dakota's only medical school and law school. USD is governed by the South Dakota Board of Regents, and its current... |
|
| Associate Justice | John K. Konenkamp John K. Konenkamp John K. Konenkamp is an associate justice of the South Dakota Supreme Court.Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., as the first of eight children born to Margaret and John Konenkamp. John Konenkamp has 6 brothers and 1 sister. He attended private Catholic School throughout the duration of his childhood and... |
1994 | University of South Dakota University of South Dakota The University of South Dakota ', the state’s oldest university, was founded in 1862 and classes began in 1882. Located in Vermillion, South Dakota, United States, USD is home to South Dakota's only medical school and law school. USD is governed by the South Dakota Board of Regents, and its current... |
|
| Associate Justice | Steven L. Zinter Steven L. Zinter Steven L. Zinter is an associate justice of the South Dakota Supreme Court.Zinter was born in Pierre, South Dakota and attended the University of South Dakota, receiving his Bachelor of Science in 1972 and his Juris Doctor in 1975. He opened a private practice in Pierre, served as an Assistant... |
2002 | University of South Dakota University of South Dakota The University of South Dakota ', the state’s oldest university, was founded in 1862 and classes began in 1882. Located in Vermillion, South Dakota, United States, USD is home to South Dakota's only medical school and law school. USD is governed by the South Dakota Board of Regents, and its current... |
|
| Associate Justice | Glen A. Severson | 2009 | University of South Dakota University of South Dakota The University of South Dakota ', the state’s oldest university, was founded in 1862 and classes began in 1882. Located in Vermillion, South Dakota, United States, USD is home to South Dakota's only medical school and law school. USD is governed by the South Dakota Board of Regents, and its current... |
|
| Associate Justice | Lori S. Wilbur | 2011 | University of South Dakota University of South Dakota The University of South Dakota ', the state’s oldest university, was founded in 1862 and classes began in 1882. Located in Vermillion, South Dakota, United States, USD is home to South Dakota's only medical school and law school. USD is governed by the South Dakota Board of Regents, and its current... |
Past justices of the Supreme Court including justices of the Dakota Territorial Supreme Court.
- Philemon BlissPhilemon BlissPhilemon Bliss was an Ohio Congressman, the first chief justice of the Supreme Court of Dakota Territory, and a Missouri Supreme Court justice....
chief justiceChief JusticeThe Chief Justice in many countries is the name for the presiding member of a Supreme Court in Commonwealth or other countries with an Anglo-Saxon justice system based on English common law, such as the Supreme Court of Canada, the Constitutional Court of South Africa, the Court of Final Appeal of...
1861 - George P. Williston 1861
- Joseph L. Williams 1861
- Ara BartlettAra BartlettAra Bartlett was an American lawyer and judge who was the second Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Dakota Territory....
1864 - Ara BartlettAra BartlettAra Bartlett was an American lawyer and judge who was the second Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Dakota Territory....
chief justiceChief JusticeThe Chief Justice in many countries is the name for the presiding member of a Supreme Court in Commonwealth or other countries with an Anglo-Saxon justice system based on English common law, such as the Supreme Court of Canada, the Constitutional Court of South Africa, the Court of Final Appeal of...
1865 - William E. Gleason 1865
- Jefferson P. KidderJefferson P. KidderJefferson Parish Kidder was an American lawyer and jurist. He served as the non-voting delegate from the Dakota Territory to the United States House of Representatives. Kidder was born in Braintree, Orange County, Vermont, and studied law at Montpelier. He was admitted to the bar in 1839 and...
1865 - John W. Boyle 1867
- Wilmot BrookingsWilmot BrookingsWilmot Wood Brookings was an American pioneer, frontier judge, and early South Dakota politician. He was the first provisional governor of Dakota Territory, and both the cities of Wilmot and Brookings as well as the county of Brookings South Dakota are named for him.Brookings was born in Woolwich,...
1869 - George W. French chief justiceChief JusticeThe Chief Justice in many countries is the name for the presiding member of a Supreme Court in Commonwealth or other countries with an Anglo-Saxon justice system based on English common law, such as the Supreme Court of Canada, the Constitutional Court of South Africa, the Court of Final Appeal of...
1869 - Alanson H. Barnes 1873
- Peter C. ShannonPeter C. ShannonPeter C. Shannon was an American lawyer, politician, and judge. After practicing law for a time in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in 1852 Shannon ran unsuccessfully for a seat in the US House of Representatives , losing by five hundred votes to Whig David Ritchie...
chief justiceChief JusticeThe Chief Justice in many countries is the name for the presiding member of a Supreme Court in Commonwealth or other countries with an Anglo-Saxon justice system based on English common law, such as the Supreme Court of Canada, the Constitutional Court of South Africa, the Court of Final Appeal of...
1874 - Granville G. BennettGranville G. BennettGranville Gaylord Bennett was an American lawyer who served as a justice of the Supreme Court for the Dakota Territory and as a delegate to the United States House of Representatives....
1875 - Gideon C. MoodyGideon C. MoodyGideon Curtis Moody was an American Senator from South Dakota.-Biography:Born in Cortland, New York, he attended the common schools and pursued an academic course. He studied law in Syracuse, New York and in 1852 moved to Indiana, gaining admission to the bar in 1853. He was appointed prosecuting...
1878 - Jefferson P. KidderJefferson P. KidderJefferson Parish Kidder was an American lawyer and jurist. He served as the non-voting delegate from the Dakota Territory to the United States House of Representatives. Kidder was born in Braintree, Orange County, Vermont, and studied law at Montpelier. He was admitted to the bar in 1839 and...
1879 - Sanford A. Hudson 1881
- Alonzo J. EdgertonAlonzo J. EdgertonAlonzo Jay Edgerton was an American politician, who graduated from Wesleyan University in 1850, and there became a member of the Mystical Seven. After residing in Mississippi and Illinois for periods of time, Edgerton settled in Mantorville in 1855 and was admitted to the bar. In 1859 he was...
chief justiceChief JusticeThe Chief Justice in many countries is the name for the presiding member of a Supreme Court in Commonwealth or other countries with an Anglo-Saxon justice system based on English common law, such as the Supreme Court of Canada, the Constitutional Court of South Africa, the Court of Final Appeal of...
1882 - William E. Church 1883
- Cornelius S. Palmer 1884
- Seward SmithSeward SmithSeward Smith was an Iowa Republican politician, lawyer, and associate justice of the Dakota Territory Supreme Court....
1884 - Louis K. ChurchLouis K. ChurchLouis Kossuth Church was a New York Supreme Court justice, a member of the New York Legislature, and the eighth Governor of Dakota Territory.-Biography:...
1886 - Bartlett TrippBartlett TrippBartlett Tripp was an American lawyer, judge, and diplomat.-Early life and education:...
chief justiceChief JusticeThe Chief Justice in many countries is the name for the presiding member of a Supreme Court in Commonwealth or other countries with an Anglo-Saxon justice system based on English common law, such as the Supreme Court of Canada, the Constitutional Court of South Africa, the Court of Final Appeal of...
1886 - William F. Francis 1886
- William B. McConnell 1886
- John E. Carland 1888
- Frank R. Aikens 1889
- Roderick Rose 1888
- Charles M. Thomas 1888
- James SpencerJames SpencerJames Matthew Spencer is an English footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for F.C. United of Manchester.-Stockport County:...
1888 - Charles F. Templeton 1889
- Louis W. Crofoot 1889
- Dighton CorsonDighton Corson-Biography:In 1827 Dighton was born to Isaac and Nancy Corson in Maine. He would live in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and Virginia City, Nevada before eventually moving to South Dakota. In 1915 he died in Pierre, South Dakota. Corson County, South Dakota is named for him....
1889 - Alphonso G. KellamAlphonso G. KellamAlphonso George Kellam was an officer in the American Civil War, a lawyer, a politician, and one of the original justices of the South Dakota Supreme Court....
1889 - John E. Bennett 1889
- Howard G. Puller 1894
- Charles S. Whiting 1908
- James H. McCoy 1909
- Samuel C. Polley 1913
- John Howard Gates 1913
- Frank Anderson 1921
- Carl G. Sherwood 1922
- Charles H. Dillon 1923
- Newton D. Burch 1926
- Frederick A. Warren 1931
- Herbert B. Rudolph 1931
- St. Clair Smith 1937
- Charles R. Hayes 1947
- Boyd Leedom 1951
- Charles S. Hanson 1956
- Alex Rentto 1955
- Frank Biegelmeier chief justiceChief JusticeThe Chief Justice in many countries is the name for the presiding member of a Supreme Court in Commonwealth or other countries with an Anglo-Saxon justice system based on English common law, such as the Supreme Court of Canada, the Constitutional Court of South Africa, the Court of Final Appeal of...
1959 - Fred J. Homeyer 1962
- Roger L. WollmanRoger Leland WollmanRoger L. Wollman is a federal judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit. He is the brother of Harvey L. Wollman, former Governor of South Dakota.-Early life and education:...
chief justiceChief JusticeThe Chief Justice in many countries is the name for the presiding member of a Supreme Court in Commonwealth or other countries with an Anglo-Saxon justice system based on English common law, such as the Supreme Court of Canada, the Constitutional Court of South Africa, the Court of Final Appeal of...
1971 - James M. Doyle 1971
- Fred R. Winans 1971
- Francis G. Dunn chief justiceChief JusticeThe Chief Justice in many countries is the name for the presiding member of a Supreme Court in Commonwealth or other countries with an Anglo-Saxon justice system based on English common law, such as the Supreme Court of Canada, the Constitutional Court of South Africa, the Court of Final Appeal of...
1973 - Oren P. Coler 1974
- Robert E. Morgan 1976
- Laurence J. Zastrow 1976
- Donald James PorterDonald James PorterDonald James Porter was a United States federal judge.Born in Madison, South Dakota, Porter received a B.S. from the University of South Dakota in 1942 and an LL.B. from the University of South Dakota School of Law in 1943. He was in the United States Army during World War II, from 1943 to 1946...
1977 - Jon Fosheim chief justiceChief JusticeThe Chief Justice in many countries is the name for the presiding member of a Supreme Court in Commonwealth or other countries with an Anglo-Saxon justice system based on English common law, such as the Supreme Court of Canada, the Constitutional Court of South Africa, the Court of Final Appeal of...
1978 - Frank E. Henderson 1979
- George W. Wuest chief justiceChief JusticeThe Chief Justice in many countries is the name for the presiding member of a Supreme Court in Commonwealth or other countries with an Anglo-Saxon justice system based on English common law, such as the Supreme Court of Canada, the Constitutional Court of South Africa, the Court of Final Appeal of...
1984 - Richard W. SabersRichard W. SabersRichard W. Sabers is an associate justice of the South Dakota Supreme Court. He was forced to retire in 2008 because of a state law that requires Supreme Court justices to retire at age 70, although no replacement was named until he was 71. He has said that the mandatory retirement age should be...
1986 - Robert A. MillerRobert A. MillerRobert Arthur Miller is a former chief justice of the South Dakota Supreme Court.-Biography:He was born in 1939. Miller attended the University of South Dakota, earning both his Bachelor of Science and his Juris Doctor there. He served as Haakon County State's Attorney, Presiding Judge of the 6th...
chief justiceChief JusticeThe Chief Justice in many countries is the name for the presiding member of a Supreme Court in Commonwealth or other countries with an Anglo-Saxon justice system based on English common law, such as the Supreme Court of Canada, the Constitutional Court of South Africa, the Court of Final Appeal of...
1986