South Dakota - Jury Duty Laws, Jury Selection, Juror Qualification

Jury Duty in South Dakota - What to Expect

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| Juror Qualifications in South Dakota - Who Can Be Summoned?

In the American court system, criminal defendants are guaranteed the right to trial by a "jury of their peers". In South Dakota, a pool of potential jurors is randomly selected from the local population of individuals eligible for jury duty.

A prospective juror must:

Be a citizen of this state

A resident of the county or jury district where the jury is selected

Be eighteen years of age or older prior to January first of the year of jury service

Be Of sound mind

Be able to read, write, and understand the English language

Persons convicted of a felony must have been restored to civil rights

| Juror Selection in South Dakota - What to Expect?

How Are Potential Jurors Chosen in South Dakota?

The first stage in jury selection is summoning a pool of potential jurors from the list of local citizens eligible to serve on a jury in South Dakota, as described above.

The jury list shall be electronically compiled each year before September, comprised of current voter registration lists and the valid license holders over the age of 18. The state court administrator's office merges these lists and duplicate records are removed.

Receiving a Jury Duty Summons in South Dakota

If your name is randomly selected for the jury pool through the process described above, you receive a jury summons in the mail instructing you to appear for jury selection on a pre-set day.

While there are a few excuses for getting out of jury selection in SD, most people summoned will have to report to the courthouse for the next stage of the juror selection process, voir dire.

The Juror Selection Process, or "Voir Dire"

Just because you qualify to be a juror and are summoned for jury selection, doesn't mean that you will be selected to be a juror on a case. The process of "Voir Dire", the actual act of jury selection, is how judges, defense attorneys, and prosecutors actually choose the individuals who will sit on the juries for upcoming criminal and civil cases.

During the voir dire process, each lawyer will ask the pool of potential jurors a series of questions about their background, beliefs, prejudices, or relationships with any party to the case. While the goal is to select an impartial jury to render a verdict, each attorney will also seek to exclude any jurors who seem to be more likely to vote against their client's interests. While jury candidates are instructed to be open and truthful when answering such questions, the juror selection process is also where most individuals who don't wish to serve on a trial find a way to be excused from further juror duties.

What Happens After Jury Selection Day

If you are selected to serve on a jury, you will be provided with the trial date, and must return to serve on the jury for the duration of the trial and deliberations. If you were not selected to serve on any jury during the voir dire process, you can go home, and your South Dakota jury duty obligations are complete.

You will receive nominal South Dakota jury duty pay for the jury selection day, as well as for any days served on a jury. Once your service is complete, you won't be summoned for jury duty again until South Dakota re-adds you to the potential juror pool.

| Jury Duty Attire (Dress Code) in South Dakota

Jurors reporting for jury duty or jury selection in the state of South Dakota are expected to dress professionally, in a manner appropriate for a court room.

Most courthouses suggest dress ranging from business casual to business attire. For men, this means slacks or khakis and a polo or button-down shirt, potentially with a tie or suit jacket. For women, this means a professional-looking pair of pants or a skirt, cardigan, sweater, twinset, or shirt.

As a juror, you are expected to maintain a professional and respectable appearance while performing your duties. Hats should never be worn in a courtroom, and you should avoid wearing shorts, t-shirts, tanktops, or anything printed with logos or slogans.

| How Frequently Can I Be Called for Jury Duty in South Dakota?

While jury duty is a civic requirement for all eligible citizens in South Dakota, the state restricts how often you can be summoned for jury duty in order to ensure a fresh jury pool and prevent undue hardship by being summoned too frequently.

South Dakota Jury Duty Summons Frequency:

If a juror has within two preceding years, the clerk of courts shall strike the name from the jury master list and draw another in its place if necessary.

| What Happens If I Fail to Appear for Jury Duty in SD?

While there are a number of ways to be legally excused from jury duty in South Dakota, failing to appear when summoned for jury selection or jury duty without an excuse is illegal, and can result in legal repercussions.

A prospective juror who fails to appear without good case may be guilty of contempt of the court and may be fined $50-$100. If the juror neglects neglects a second order to appear, they may be fined as above and imprisoned not longer than 10 days in the county jail.

Employers in South Dakota are also forbidden from penalizing employees who miss work for jury duty.

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