Committee on Judicial Elections Appointed
11/01/2013
For Immediate Release
Contact: Greg Sattizahn
773-3474
¾Pierre
Chief Justice David Gilbertson announced today the appointment of the Special Committee on Judicial Election Campaign Intervention. The Special Committee consists of nine members appointed by the Chief Justice which is comprised of retired justices and judges, lawyers and citizens. The Special Committee includes the following members:
· Chair Robert A. Miller, Retired Chief Justice (Pierre)
· Retired Circuit Judge Rodney Steele (Brookings)
· Honorable Harvey Wollman (Frankfort)
· John Blackburn, Esq. (Yankton)
· Professor Christine Hutton (Vermillion)
· Arlene Ham-Burr (Rapid City)
· Dr. Robert Burns (Brookings)
· Bob H. Miller (Sioux Falls)
· Robert C. Riter Jr., Esq. (Pierre)
The Special Committee’s purpose is to serve as a resource for judicial candidates and help deter impermissible judicial campaign conduct by issuing advisory opinions and responding to complaints related to judicial campaign conduct. In 2014, all 41 of South Dakota’s circuit court judge positions will be subject to election by the voters.
In appointing the Special Committee Chief Justice Gilbertson stated, “The creation of this judicial campaign oversight committee will work to ensure that candidates for judicial office comply with the Code of Judicial Conduct and the requirements associated with judicial elections and allow for an entity that can respond swiftly to ethical misconduct that may arise during judicial elections.”