South Dakota Governor Signs Law Banning Courts from Enforcing Religious Codes

South Dakota Gov. Dennis Daugaard has signed a bill designed to prevent courts from applying Islamic law. The revised measure bars courts and governmental agencies from enforcing any provisions of any religious code, according to Gavel to Gavel, a newsletter of the National Center for State Courts. The bill was…

Mar 13, 2012 3:48 PM CDT

Tribe Seeks Injunction to Curb Alcohol Sales Near Reservation

An Indian tribe in South Dakota is asking a federal judge to issue an injunction as part of its suit against companies that make and sell beer in a Nebraska border town. The Oglala Sioux Tribe has amended its $500 million suit to ask the judge to limit beer sales…

Feb 23, 2012 2:04 PM CST

Inmate Seeking Execution Says He Wants to Kill Again; Judge Mulls Aggravation Arguments

Updated: Accused of beating a 63-year-old South Dakota prison guard to death in a failed escape attempt in April, Eric Robert pleaded guilty and said he wants to be executed. And a judge agreed that death was the only appropriate punishment, reports the Argus Leader. He’s ready to kill again,…

Oct 26, 2011 11:29 PM CDT

Give Rural South Dakota a Chance, State Bar Urges Lawyers

Sixty-five percent of South Dakota’s lawyers are headquartered in four cities in the state, a statistic that concerns the state bar. Under a new initiative called Project Rural Practice, the State Bar Association of South Dakota hopes to lure lawyers to areas of the state with the greatest legal need,…

Sep 9, 2011 12:01 PM CDT

Friendlier State Legislatures Lead to a Rise in Anti-Abortion Legislation

Aug 1, 2011 7:20 AM CDT

Defendant Loses Appeal Based on Judge’s ‘Go Native’ Remark

Corrected: A Native American has lost his bid for a new sentence because of the judge’s “go native” remark. The South Dakota Supreme Court said the judge’s comment, used to describe the defendant’s pattern of behavior when drinking alcohol, was “ill chosen” but there was no bias. The June 22…

Jun 28, 2011 1:28 PM CDT

Disciplined for Rudeness, Judge Says He Can’t Afford Probation, Will Retire and Return to Practice

Disciplined for repeated rudeness to lawyers, court staff and others, a South Dakota judge says he can’t afford the nearly $175,000 that a six-month suspension and subsequent probation could cost him. So Circuit Judge A.P. “Pete” Fuller of Rapid City will retire and return to law practice, reports the Associated…

Jun 20, 2011 5:54 PM CDT

Judge Who Acted with ‘Unconscionable Arrogance’ Must Retire or Face Suspension

A 68-year-old judge who flipped the bird, used vulgar language and made insensitive racial and sexist jokes must retire or face a six-month unpaid suspension, the South Dakota Supreme Court has ruled. If Judge A.P. “Pete” Fuller of Rapid City accepts the suspension, he will also be placed on probation…

May 20, 2011 4:24 PM CDT

Shamed Judge Pleads to Keep His Job, Tells Top SD Court ‘I’m Not Perfect But I Have Changed’

In a voice choked with emotion, a South Dakota judge today pleaded with the state’s top court to let him stay on the bench until he reaches the mandatory retirement age of 70. “I’m not perfect, but I have changed,” said Circuit Judge A.P. “Pete” Fuller of Rapid City, who…

Apr 28, 2011 11:22 PM CDT

Top SD Court Raps Ex-Prosecutor, Says He Shouldn’t Have Put Grand Jury Transcripts on Web

A former prosecutor should be publicly censured for putting grand jury transcripts on the Internet, the South Dakota Supreme Court has ruled, even though he obtained a court order authorizing him to do so. Now a state lawmaker, Lance Russsell (R-Hot Springs) also erred as Fall River County’s state’s attorney…

Apr 22, 2011 8:31 PM CDT

SD Judge Faces Potential Removal Over Alleged Rude and Racist Remarks and Use of the ‘Bird’

For the first time in its 121-year history, the top court of South Dakota is to hold a hearing later this month to decide whether to remove a sitting judge from the bench. The Judicial Qualifications Commission contends that Judge A.P. “Pete” Fuller of the state’s 7th Circuit was rude…

Apr 11, 2011 12:49 PM CDT

Women Seeking Abortions in South Dakota Will Have to Visit ‘Pregnancy Help Centers’

A first-of-its-kind law signed Tuesday by South Dakota Gov. Dennis Daugaard requires women seeking abortions to get counseling first. Women will have to go to “pregnancy help centers” where they will learn about assistance available should they decide to give birth, the New York Times reports. The law also requires…

Mar 23, 2011 12:00 PM CDT

South Dakota Defers Bill Allowing Homicide in Defense of Fetus

South Dakota lawmakers have postponed indefinitely a vote on a bill that some had criticized as a license to kill abortion providers. South Dakota House Speaker Val Rausch said a vote on the justifiable homicide bill won’t be taken until a decision is made whether to amend or even drop…

Feb 18, 2011 11:30 AM CST

South Dakota Lawmaker Denies His Bill Is a License to Kill Abortion Providers

A South Dakota lawmaker is defending his bill that says killings to protect unborn children are justifiable homicide. Critics have said the bill is a “license to kill” abortion providers, but chief sponsor Rep. Phil Jensen of Rapid City says that’s not true, the Associated Press reports. Rep. Phil Jensen…

Feb 16, 2011 12:12 PM CST

Lawyer Who Claimed Child Porn Was Legal Research Is Acquitted

A 62-year-old Sioux Falls lawyer has been acquitted of child pornography charges after claiming he viewed the images at work as part of his legal research. Leo Flynn plans to continue practicing law, the Argus Leader reports. “This just reaffirms why I became a lawyer,” he said outside the federal…

Dec 20, 2010 1:51 PM CST