The South Dakota Unified Judicial System is inviting the public to weigh in on a proposal that could reshape how courts are administered across much of western South Dakota.
Judicial officials will host three public forums on August 26th to gather feedback on a proposed merger of the state’s Fourth and Seventh Judicial Circuits. The proposal, developed by the U.J.S. State Court Administrator’s Office, is intended to improve operational efficiency throughout the region.
Officials say the meetings are informational and designed to collect public input before any formal rule change is submitted to the South Dakota Supreme Court.
Forums will be held at the Pennington County Courthouse in Rapid City from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m., at the Meade County Courthouse in Sturgis at 11 a.m., and at the Lonesome Dove Conference Center in Lemmon at 3:30 p.m.
If approved, the merger would combine the administrative structures of two large West River judicial circuits, covering counties from Pennington and Lawrence to Corson, Dewey, Oglala Lakota and Fall River.
Each meeting will include a presentation followed by a public question-and-answer and comment session.
