South Dakota Criminal Justice
Minnehaha County votes to bolster prosecutors, public defense
SIOUX FALLS – Federal grant funding from the Violence Against Women Act could soon bring a domestic violence specialist to the Minnehaha County State’s Attorney’s Office to help shepherd victims through the criminal justice system. The Minnehaha County Commission voted unanimously on Tuesday to allow State’s Attorney Daniel Haggar to apply for a Services, Training, […]
Legislative roundup: Pipelines and punishment
Aside from transgender health care, the big themes on the Searchlight radar this week were carbon pipelines and criminal justice. At least one media outlet used the term “Pipeline Monday” to describe the first day of the week that marked the halfway point of the main run of the 2023 legislative session. Half a dozen […]
Truth in sentencing cost: $21.5 million
Lawmakers sent a bill to the governor Friday that would repeal mandatory prison-jail cost estimates, but not before one of the last such estimates landed in their laps with a $21.5 million thud. The House and Senate have both approved a bill to repeal a rule that requires a prison-jail cost impact statement for any […]
First of multiple ‘truth in sentencing’ bills to see debate Tuesday morning
Repeat offenders and people who commit violent crimes would serve more time if lawmakers pass one of the “truth in sentencing” bills on the legislative docket this session. Sen. Brent Hoffman, R-Sioux Falls, worked with Minnehaha County State’s Attorney Daniel Haggar and other criminal justice officials to draft Senate Bill 146. The bill is set […]
Bill legalizing fentanyl testing strips passes House committee
A bill that would decriminalize fentanyl test strips in South Dakota passed the House Judiciary Committee Wednesday with a 11-2 vote. Fentanyl test strips are small bits of paper that can detect the presence of the synthetic opioid, which is sometimes laced with other drugs and has a high mortality rate. Under current law, the […]
Noem budget sets aside $3.5 million for state fingerprint, criminal history database
Lawmakers in Pierre will soon be asked to send $3.5 million to the Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) to update the software that catalogs arrest and fingerprint records that date back to 1937. The ask is among the one-time line items tucked into Gov. Kristi Noem’s 360-page proposed budget. The software upgrades to the DCI’s […]