About the Livestream
Court hearings are streamed LIVE from various locations around the state for the public to view on a computer, tablet or smartphone. The availability of these hearings is determined by decisions regarding public access in each courthouse and available court resources. Capturing, reproducing or rebroadcast of these proceedings without the express permission of the court is prohibited. Unauthorized reproduction shall be considered contempt of court and punished accordingly.
Courtroom J, Minnehaha County Jail Courtoom
Second Judicial Circuit State of South Dakota
This video stream originates from Minnehaha County “Courtroom J,” located in the Minnehaha County Jail. The hearings include initial court appearances for most – although not all – defendants recently arrested and currently in-custody at the Jail.
Some other hearings for defendants in custody, and all hearings for defendants not in-custody, are held at the Minnehaha County Courthouse, 425 N. Dakota Avenue, Sioux Falls, and are not livestreamed.
To provide full access for the general public, the media, and any interested parties, all hearings held in “Courtroom J” are livestreamed on the internet and also displayed on a public video monitor off the main lobby in the Minnehaha County Courthouse.
Frequently Asked Questions
A daily calendar of all cases is available at this link: https://ujscourttv.sd.gov/
Select Minnehaha County, and the display will show all hearings held within the time period you select, alphabetical by the person’s last name. It will also show the judge and the courtroom. If a person is scheduled for “Courtroom J” then the hearing will appear on the livestream.
All other courtrooms are in the Minnehaha County Courthouse and are not livestreamed.
At an initial appearance or arraignment, the judge will explain a person’s legal rights, explain the charges, determine bond (in other words, set conditions of release including the amount of bail, if any, and other possible restrictions), address legal representation and set any future court appearances.
To post bail or bond for someone, go to the Jail’s public lobby at 305 West 4th Street, directly across the street from the Law Enforcement Center. The bail or bond can be posted through a kiosk in the jail lobby, or through the Jail’s Court Money system. If you have any questions you can speak with the officer working the Jail’s front desk for more assistance.
Under South Dakota law, alleged victims have a right to make a statement to the court at the time of the initial appearance. If you wish to make a statement – for livestreamed Courtroom J or any other courtroom – please contact the State’s Attorney office at 605-367-4226. Even though Courtroom J in the Minnehaha County Jail does not have a spectator’s section or public gallery in the courtroom itself, the court will provide an opportunity to make a victim’s (“Marsy’s Law”) statement upon request, either in writing, by phone, or by video.
In that situation, you should first contact the State’s Attorney’s office at 605-367-4226 and tell them you want to “revoke” your bail posting. Depending on the paperwork you signed about the use of the money and the circumstances of the case, you may or may not be able to get your money back. A revocation of bail may also result in the defendant going back to jail until bail can be posted by the defendant or some other person instead.
Inmates/defendants ordered released at 9:00 a.m. hearings will typically be processed out and released by about 3:00 p.m. that same day. Defendants from 1:30 pm sessions are typically processed and released between 6:30 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. depending on volume and activity at the jail. Posting bond for someone who appeared at either of those court times will not change their projected release time.
The money or the bond could be forfeited (payable to the state or the county), depending on the circumstances of the case and the paperwork you signed when the bail was posted. People should be very cautious about posting bail because the money could be lost if the defendant fails to follow the requirements set by the court.
The court will sometimes issue no contact orders to defendants charged with certain crimes, usually directing defendants to have no contact with alleged victims or potential witnesses. If you want a no contact order lifted or modified, first contact the State’s Attorney’s office at 605-367-4226. If the State’s Attorney’s office does not agree with your request, you can then write to the assigned judge with your request, copying the State’s Attorney’s office and the defendant’s attorney, if the defendant has an attorney. You may fax the request to the court at 605-367-5979, or email it to UJSWeb2nd@ujs.state.sd.us, or mail it to the Minnehaha County Courthouse, 425 N. Dakota Avenue, Sioux Falls, SD 57104 or deliver the request to the courthouse in person.
A public video display of all hearings in Courtroom J, the Jail courtroom, is available anytime that courtroom is in session, just off the main lobby in the Minnehaha County Courthouse.
Whether a hearing is held in Courtroom J or any other courtroom in the Second Circuit, if a defendant needs an interpreter, please call Court Administration at 605-367-5920.
No, the internet livestream of Courtroom J, the Jail courtroom, is real-time only. There is no archive, index, or public playback capability for the Courtroom J livestream. If you need a written transcript of any hearing for Courtroom J or any other courtroom in the Second Circuit, please call Court Administration at 605-367-5920.
No. According to the order of the South Dakota Supreme Court which authorized this pilot project to livestream the Minnehaha County Jail courtroom, the video must not be captured or rebroadcast.
The Courtroom J livestream is active only while the courtroom is in session, generally starting at 9:00 a.m., then a break for lunch, then through the last hearing of the day, usually not later than 5:00 p.m. If you do have any questions or issues with the video feed however, please call Court Administration at 605-367-5920.
The circumstances of each case vary widely and the need to preserve certain items as exhibits while a case is pending can be a complicated issue. If you have an attorney, or if an attorney was appointed for you, we recommend you ask your attorney about seized property. In many situations, the property may have been seized by the Sioux Falls Police Department and, in that case, you would call the Sioux Falls City Attorney’s office at 605-367-8880 or check www.siouxfalls.org/city-attorney for further information.
At an initial appearance or arraignment, judges review the circumstances of each case, the charges, the potential risk to the public and the defendant’s history with following court orders. The judge could set a number of conditions for release, including drug or alcohol testing, participation in the “24/7 Program,” electronic monitoring, no contact orders, driving prohibitions or restrictions, and certain forms of bail or bonds. Bail and bond possibilities include:
- Personal recognizance (PR bond) – The defendant is released on a personal promise to follow all conditions and appear for his or her next court date.
- Cash bond – A cash amount the defendant, or someone else on the defendant’s behalf, will have to pay as security or a guarantee that the defendant will follow all conditions and appear for future court dates.
- Cash or surety (or “corporate”) bond – An amount the defendant or a third party will have to pay either in cash, or a corporate bond usually posted by a bail bondsman.