Policing & Justice

A bill now under consideration by the state Legislature seeks to find the right balance in assessment of juvenile offenders to determine which should be sent back to school and which should be sent to jail. Developing a suitable assessment tool and process has proven challenging as school officials say they are handling too many delinquents but advocates for reform at the same time push for greater alternatives to juvenile incarcerations.

Peter Smith, CEO of the Rural Office of Community Services, remains director of the South Dakota non-profit social services agency despite being the subject of a workplace sexual harassment and retaliation investigation by the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Investigation that resulted in a $320,000 settlement payment to several former female employees.

Despite a 2020 law restricting cell phone use by drivers, and numerous public-information campaigns, distracted driving remains a significant cause of injuries and deaths in car crashes in South Dakota and across the United States. Police officers continue to crack down on the risky behaviors, but a new outreach effort will use a multi-pronged approach to try to keep people focused on the road ahead.

A new statewide poll shows that a majority of registered South Dakota voters supports greater gun-control measures in the state, even as elected officials continue down a path of trying to make guns easier to buy and carry.

A July 2022 poll of registered South Dakota voters shows a majority do not support legalization of recreational marijuana, which will be up for a statewide vote on Initiated Measure 27 in the November 2022 election. Supporters of legalization question the validity of the poll findings, which run counter to other poll results and to the result of the 2020 election in which voters approved a constitutional amendment -- later overturned in the courts -- to legalize recreational marijuana for adult use in South Dakota.

Court documents provide details of how farmers who commit grain fraud orchestrated their schemes and how they spent their ill-gotten gains.

As organic farming in the U.S. has evolved into a $63 billion a year industry, some farmers have turned to fraud and others have exploited loopholes in the organic regulatory system in order to make millions. But legitimate farmers in South Dakota and beyond are working to protect their reputations and build more trust in organic labeling by pushing for more regulation, oversight and transparency within the industry.

The 24/7 Sobriety program, launched in South Dakota several years ago to combat alcohol-related crimes through daily testing, is being considered as a national model that could get Congressional support and funding. Despite claims that it infringes on the rights of some criminal defendants, the program is seen as a major success by many in the law-enforcement community.

The next few weeks will help determine the fate of current and former South Dakota legal officials as the race to be the state's next attorney general takes shape. At stake are the jobs and futures of three Republicans with ties to the Attorney General's Office -- former AG Marty Jackley, suspended incumbent Jason Ravnsborg, and DCI director-turned-candidate David Natvig.

Ravnsborg, Jackley, Seiler: Three viable candidates for attorney general are in play as intrigue swirls around the upcoming race to be South Dakota's next top legal officer. The race features an impeached incumbent facing possible removal, a former AG running against him, and a Democrat keeping a close eye on who emerges from the GOP convention in June.