South Dakota Supreme Court Hears Final Comments on Circuit Consolidation in Pierre; Opponents in the Majority
PIERRE, Hughes County, South Dakota — The South Dakota Supreme Court heard final public comments in Pierre on November 9 on a proposal to consolidate the Fourth and Seventh judicial circuits, bringing the long-debated court reorganization plan to its final stage before a decision.
State Court Administrator Greg Sattizahn was the lone speaker in favor of consolidation at the public comment session at the State Capitol; most other speakers opposed it. Under the proposal, the revised Fourth Circuit would hold about 29 percent of the state's judges, nearly on par with the Minnehaha County-based Second Circuit at about 30 percent.
Sattizahn said the move seeks balance between growing urban needs and maintaining rural services. Chief Justice Steven Jensen gave no timeframe for a decision.
Source: South Dakota Public Broadcasting
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 南达科他州议会大厦。（Jake DeGroot 摄，CC BY-SA 3.0，经 Wikimedia Commons）
