South Dakota

• South Dakota Supreme Court
• Judicial Qualifications Commission

• • 7 members:
  • 3 lawyers appointed by the president of the South Dakota state bar
  • 2 non-lawyers appointed by the Governor
  • 2 judges of the circuit court, elected by the judicial conference

Terms: 4 years (staggered), no more than 2 terms

• Commission submits a list of at least two persons from which Governor must choose one.
• At the end of a Justice’s term, the Justice will be subject to a statewide retention election and will continue for another term if the Justice is retained.

Interim Vacancies

• A vacancy in the office of a Supreme Court justice or circuit court judge, shall be filled by appointment of the Governor from one of two or more persons nominated by the judicial qualifications commission.
• The appointment to fill a vacancy of a circuit court judge shall be for the balance of the unexpired term; and the appointment to fill a vacancy of a Supreme Court justice shall be subject to approval or rejection as hereinafter set forth.

• South Dakota CONST. art. V § 7
• South Dakota Codified Laws § 16-1A-2
• South Dakota Codified Laws § 2
• South Dakota CONST. art. V § 9