PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release: May 7, 2024
Contact: Alisa Bousa, Public Information Officer
Alisa.Bousa@ujs.state.sd.us | 605.773.2031
Commission on Indigent Legal Services to Hold First Meeting
PIERRE, S.D.—The South Dakota Commission on Indigent Legal Services will hold its first meeting on Thursday, May 16, 2024, at the Minnehaha County Courthouse in Sioux Falls.
Created by HB 1057 during the 2024 South Dakota Legislature, the Commission will oversee indigent legal services in South Dakota’s court system where there is a right to counsel under state or federal law. The Commission will also oversee the new Office of Indigent Legal Services to provide statewide indigent representation services in appeals of criminal, habeas corpus, and abuse or neglect of a child cases.
The meeting will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. CDT in the fifth-floor multi-purpose room at the Minnehaha County Courthouse, 425 N. Dakota Ave., Sioux Falls.
The agenda includes discussions of the Commission’s statutory responsibilities, the Commission and Office of Indigent Legal Services’ organization and support structure, county reimbursement fund overview, national landscape on indigent defense/roles of commissions/lessons learned, Sixth Amendment Center’s county study, and next steps/priority action items. View the agenda at https://boardsandcommissions.sd.gov/bcuploads/ILSCommissionAgenda5.16.2024.pdf.
The Commission is comprised of nine people: three people appointed by the Governor, three appointed by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, one appointed by the president pro tempore of the Senate, one appointed by the speaker of the House, and one appointed by the executive director of the South Dakota Association of County Commissioners.
Individuals needing assistance pursuant to the Americans with Disabilities Act should contact State Court Administration at 605-773-3474 48 hours before convening to make any necessary arrangements.
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About South Dakota Courts: The Unified Judicial System (UJS) consists of the Supreme Court, Circuit Courts and State Court Administrator’s Office. The Supreme Court is the state’s highest court and final decision maker on South Dakota law. The Circuit Courts are the state’s trial courts where criminal proceedings and civil litigation are handled. The State Court Administrator’s Office provides centralized administrative assistance and support services for the South Dakota judiciary. Learn more at https://ujs.sd.gov.