South Dakota District Attorneys

A district attorney (D.A.) is the chief prosecutor for the local government. Essentially, the district attorney is the lawyer representing "the people" in criminal proceedings. State's attorneys are each responsible for a different county.

South Dakota Attorney General

The South Dakota Attorney General (A.G.) is the top legal officer of the state. In addition to serving as a legal advisor to the state's legislature and agencies, the attorney general also represents the state in cases in which it's named as a party. Under such circumstances, the Attorney General handles civil cases—and not just criminal ones.

Both attorneys general and state's attorneys oversee the administration of the criminal justice system in South Dakota. The state's attorneys' offices handle the prosecution of criminal offenses in their respective jurisdictions. As publicly elected officials, they are supposed to serve the interests of the public, including public safety. Examples of criminal offenses under most states' criminal laws, including those of South Dakota, are the following:

• Domestic violence, including violations of protection orders
• Criminal child support arrears
• Sexual assault

Attorneys general and state's attorney's assist law enforcement in enforcing criminal laws.

Directory of South Dakota District Attorneys

In the following table, you can find contact information for each county's state's attorney. For counties that don't have their own website for the state's attorney, you can find the contact information in the South Dakota State's Attorneys Association.

Note: We strive to provide the most current contact and website information available for the D.A. offices in this state. But this information is subject to change. If you have found contact or website information that is not current, please contact us.

Have Questions About South Dakota District Attorneys? Ask a Defense Attorney

It's important to understand that a district attorney represents the government, so they're not looking out for your best interests. The only way to make sure that someone's looking out for you is to consult with a defense attorney. So, if you have questions or concerns about your criminal case, it's best to speak with a skilled criminal defense attorney near you.

But you still have options if you can't afford an attorney. You can try to contact the office of the public defender. The public defender's office can provide legal representation to low-income defendants. You could also try to contact East River Legal Services. This nonprofit organization, located in Sioux Falls, can provide free or low-cost legal services to qualifying people. There, you can also find answers to frequently asked questions (FAQ) about the criminal justice system in South Dakota.

You might also try contacting South Dakota Law Help (SDLawHelp.org). This organization provides self-help resources to people handling their own cases. If you need referrals for private attorneys, you could contact the South Dakota Bar Association. Don't do this alone.