The Dakota Scout

The Dakota Scout

State Politics

Chief justice pledges to help poor find better access to South Dakota courts

Justice Steven Jensen touts progress of courts amid hostile national political environment

Austin Goss's avatar
Jonathan Ellis's avatar
Austin Goss and Jonathan Ellis
Jan 15, 2025
∙ Paid
South Dakota Supreme Court Chief Justice Steven Jensen delivers the 2025 State of the Judiciary Address. (Jonathan Ellis/The Dakota Scout)

PIERRE — Despite a rash of hostile political debate and misinformation, South Dakota’s Unified Judicial System is continuing to charge forward into the future.

That was the message of Supreme Court Chief Justice Steven Jensen, who delivered his fifth ever State of the Judiciary Address to a joint session of the Legislature Wednesday morning.

Fresh off re-appointment to another term as chief justice by his fellow justices, Jensen touted the system’s work to advance indigent legal services in the state — those unable to afford the fees associated with hiring an attorney.

RELATED: Report credits South Dakota with reforming system for indigent criminal defendants

User's avatar

Continue reading this post for free, courtesy of The Dakota Scout.

Or purchase a paid subscription.
© 2026 The Dakota Scout · Privacy ∙ Terms ∙ Collection notice
Start your SubstackGet the app
Substack is the home for great culture