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South Dakota Supreme Court
The highest court in South Dakota. Who sits on it, how they got there and how long their terms run.
Assisted appointment (Hybrid)How justices are chosenA nominating commission screens candidates and sends a shortlist; the governor appoints from it. In many such states, justices later face yes/no retention elections.
8 yearsTerm length
5Sitting justices
1861Founded
No public decision data available for this court. There is no free, consistently coded source of how each state justice votes in cases, so this site doesn't score state judges.
Justices
Steven Jensen
Chief Justice · District 4
Party as listed: Nonpartisan
Took office: November 3, 2017
Appointed by Dennis Daugaard (R)
Photo: Ballotpedia
Robert Gusinsky
Justice · District 1
Party as listed: Nonpartisan
Took office: December 8, 2025
Appointed by Larry Rhoden (R)
Mark Salter
Justice · District 2
Party as listed: Nonpartisan
Took office: July 9, 2018
Appointed by Dennis Daugaard (R)
Photo: Ballotpedia
Patricia DeVaney
Justice · District 3
Party as listed: Nonpartisan
Took office: May 24, 2019
Appointed by Kristi L. Noem (R)
Photo: Ballotpedia
Scott P. Myren
Justice · District 5
Party as listed: Nonpartisan
Took office: January 5, 2021
Appointed by Kristi L. Noem (R)
Photo: Ballotpedia
Source: Ballotpedia, South Dakota Supreme Court (retrieved Oct 26, 2026). “Party as listed” is Ballotpedia’s label; many state justices are officially nonpartisan. Photos from each justice’s Ballotpedia page (or Wikimedia Commons where Ballotpedia has none). Click a name for a short profile.