§ 5.
Jurisdiction of courts.
The Supreme Court shall have such appellate jurisdiction as
may be provided by the Legislature, and the Supreme Court or any justice thereof may issue any
original or remedial writ which shall then be heard and determined by that court. The Governor
has authority to require opinions of the Supreme Court upon important questions of law involved
in the exercise of his executive power and upon solemn occasions.
The circuit courts have original jurisdiction in all cases except as to any limited original
jurisdiction granted to other courts by the Legislature. The circuit courts and judges thereof have the
power to issue, hear and determine all original and remedial writs. The circuit courts have such
appellate jurisdiction as may be provided by law.
Imposition or execution of a sentence may be suspended by the court empowered to impose the
sentence unless otherwise provided by law.
History: 1889 Const., art. V, §§ 2, 3, 13, 14; § 39 as proposed by SL 1929, ch 83, approved Nov.,
1930; amendment proposed by SL 1972, ch 2, approved Nov. 7, 1972.
§ 6.
Qualifications of judicial personnel.
Justices of the Supreme Court, judges of the
circuit courts and persons presiding over courts of limited jurisdiction must be citizens of the
United States, residents of the state of South Dakota and voting residents within the district,
circuit or jurisdiction from which they are elected or appointed. No Supreme Court justice shall
be deemed to have lost his voting residence in a district by reason of his removal to the seat of
government in the discharge of his official duties. Justices of the Supreme Court and judges of
circuit courts must be licensed to practice law in the state of South Dakota.
History: 1889 Const., art. V, §§ 10, 25, 37; amendment proposed by SL 1972, ch 2, approved
Nov. 7, 1972.
§ 7.
Judicial selection.
Circuit court judges shall be elected in a nonpolitical election by
the electorate of the circuit each represents for an eight-year term.
A vacancy, as defined by law, in the office of a Supreme Court justice or circuit court judge, shall
be filled by appointment of the Governor from one of two or more persons nominated by the judicial
qualifications commission. The appointment to fill a vacancy of a circuit court judge shall be for the
balance of the unexpired term; and the appointment to fill a vacancy of a Supreme Court justice shall
be subject to approval or rejection as hereinafter set forth.
Retention of each Supreme Court justice shall, in the manner provided by law, be subject to
approval or rejection on a nonpolitical ballot at the first general election following the expiration of
three years from the date of his appointment. Thereafter, each Supreme Court justice shall be subject
to approval or rejection in like manner every eighth year. All incumbent Supreme Court justices at
the time of the effective date of this amendment shall be subject to a retention election in the general
election in the year in which their respective existing terms expire.
History: 1889 Const., art. V, §§ 8, 15, 37; amendment proposed by SL 1972, ch 2, approved Nov.
7, 1972; amendment proposed by SL 1979, ch 3, approved Nov. 4, 1980; amendment proposed by
SL 2003, ch 1, § 1, rejected Nov. 2, 2004.
0N-5-8 Selection of the chief justice.
§ 8.
Selection of the chief justice.
The chief justice shall be selected from among the
justices of the Supreme Court for a term and in a manner to be provided by law. The chief justice
may resign his office without resigning from the Supreme Court.
History: 1889 Const., art. V, § 9; amendment proposed by SL 1972, ch 2, approved Nov. 7,
1972.
0N-5-9 Qualifications commission.
§ 9.
Qualifications commission.
The Legislature shall provide by law for the
establishment of a judicial qualifications commission which have such powers as the Legislature
may provide, including the power to investigate complaints against any justice or judge and to
conduct confidential hearings concerning the removal or involuntary retirement of a justice or
judge. The Supreme Court shall prescribe by rule the means to implement and enforce the powers
of the commission. On recommendation of the judicial qualifications commission the Supreme
Court, after hearing, may censure, remove or retire a justice or judge for action which constitutes
willful misconduct in office, willful and persistent failure to perform his duties, habitual
intemperance, disability that seriously interferes with the performance of the duties or conduct
prejudicial to the administration of justice which brings a judicial office into disrepute. No justice
or judge shall sit in judgment in any hearing involving his own removal or retirement.
History: Section proposed by SL 1972, ch 2, approved Nov. 7, 1972.
0N-5-10 Restrictions.
§ 10.
Restrictions.
During his term of office no Supreme Court justice or circuit court
judge shall engage in the practice of law. Any Supreme Court justice or circuit court judge who
becomes a candidate for an elective nonjudicial office shall thereby forfeit his judicial office.
History: 1889 Const., art. V, §§ 31, 35; amendment proposed by SL 1972, ch 2, approved Nov.
7, 1972.
0N-5-11 Administration.
§ 11.
Administration.
The chief justice is the administrative head of the unified judicial
system. The chief justice shall submit an annual consolidated budget for the entire unified
judicial system, and the total cost of the system shall be paid by the state. The Legislature may
provide by law for the reimbursement to the state of appropriate portions of such cost by
governmental subdivisions. The Supreme Court shall appoint such court personnel as it deems
necessary to serve at its pleasure.
The chief justice shall appoint a presiding circuit judge for each judicial circuit to serve at the
pleasure of the chief justice. Each presiding circuit judge shall have such administrative power as
the Supreme Court designates by rule and may, unless it be otherwise provided by law, appoint
judicial personnel to courts of limited jurisdiction to serve at his pleasure. Each presiding circuit
judge shall appoint clerks and other court personnel for the counties in his circuit who shall serve
at his pleasure at a compensation fixed by law. Duties of clerks shall be defined by Supreme Court
rule.
The chief justice shall have power to assign any circuit judge to sit on another circuit court, or
on the Supreme Court in case of a vacancy or in place of a justice who is disqualified or unable to
act. The chief justice may authorize a justice to sit as a judge in any circuit court.
The chief justice may authorize retired justices and judges to perform any judicial duties to the
extent provided by law and as directed by the Supreme Court.
History: 1889 Const., art. V, §§ 7, 12, 29, 32; amendment of § 7 proposed by SL 1913, ch 135,
rejected Nov., 1914; amendment of § 7 proposed by SL 1917, ch 158, approved Nov., 1918; new
section proposed by SL 1968, ch 223, rejected Nov. 5, 1968; amendment proposed by SL 1969, ch
243, § 40, approved Nov. 3, 1970; amendment proposed by SL 1972, ch 2, approved Nov. 7, 1972.
0N-5-12 Rule-making power.
§ 12.
Rule-making power.
The Supreme Court shall have general superintending powers
over all courts and may make rules of practice and procedure and rules governing the
administration of all courts. The Supreme Court by rule shall govern terms of courts, admission
to the bar, and discipline of members of the bar. These rules may be changed by the Legislature.
History: 1889 Const., art. V, §§ 2, 4, 27, 28, 33; amendment proposed by SL 1972, ch 2,
approved Nov. 7, 1972.
0N-5-13 Transition.
§ 13.
Transition.
The Legislature by law and the Supreme Court by rule shall provide for
the orderly transition of the judicial system in conformity with this article.
History: Section proposed by SL 1972, ch 2, approved Nov. 7, 1972.
0N-5-14
