Longest-serving South Dakota Chief Justice bids farewell Thursday, January 16, 2020
U.S. News
South Dakota Supreme Court Chief Justice David Gilbertson delivered his final State of the Judiciary address in Pierre on Wednesday, using the speech to push for a justice system that helps people address drug addiction and stay out of prison.
The longest-serving chief justice in state history called drug addiction an “evil” that leads to crimes and requested funding from law enforcement for addiction treatment connected to drug and DUI courts. He will leave the office in January next year due to term-limits.
In preparing for his final address, he looked back to his first as Chief Justice in 2002. “There’s not one thing in that message that I talked about then that’s going to be talked about today,” Gilbertson told the Associated Press.