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Supreme Court: History & Overview

The South Dakota Supreme Court has had a long and storied past since its inception 125 years ago. The Court has made great strides from its roots in the Territorial Supreme Court, transitioning through its early development at the beginning of the twentieth century, to its transformation into the Unified Judicial System in 1972, to the Court that serves South Dakota citizens today. Despite its critical role as the third branch of government, there has been strikingly little written about the history of the Court. Prior to this endeavor, A Photographic History of the South Dakota Supreme Court (published in 1995 and again 2012) plus a few commonly reproduced generalities are all that existed to inform the public about the Court. The Judicial Voices Project appears to be the first comprehensive effort at capturing the past of the South Dakota Supreme Court. 

 

There were many events which shaped the development of the South Dakota Supreme Court. Click on each one below to learn the history:

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