Second Judicial Circuit reports caseload rise, juvenile center planning

Presiding Judge Robin Halman told the Minnehaha County Commission on May 20 that the Second Judicial Circuit, which covers Minnehaha and Lincoln counties, has added two judges and is seeing an increase in caseloads that is driving space and staffing changes.

Halman said, "the legislature last year did approve, the funding for 2 additional circuit court judges in Minnehaha and Lincoln Counties," and that the governor appointed Jeffrey Clapper and Mandy Mowery last fall. "So we have 19 judges total now in the circuit again," she said.

The presentation matters because the court’s caseload and staffing affect how quickly cases move through court and the county’s need for courtroom and support space. The circuit’s growth has prompted courthouse reconfiguration and planning for a juvenile justice campus.

Halman gave a numerical overview of filings for the circuit and county. "For the fiscal year 24, we had…