How do judges of the South Dakota Supreme Court reach the bench?

The court's current selection method is merit selection with retention.

South Dakota Supreme Court / Joined 2019 / Active

Patricia J. DeVaney

Justice, South Dakota Supreme Court

Patricia J. DeVaney is a Justice of the South Dakota Supreme Court, serving since 2019. Sources ↓

Tenure: Since 2019 · 7 yrs

Judicial service

Year	Court	Appointed by	Vote
2019	South Dakota Supreme Court	–	–

Questions & answers

How do judges of the South Dakota Supreme Court reach the bench?: The court's current selection method is merit selection with retention.
Which court is Patricia J. DeVaney on?: Patricia J. DeVaney is a Justice of the South Dakota Supreme Court.

Sources

Each fact on this page traces to a primary public record.

South Dakota Unified Judicial System (ujs.sd.gov) — Supreme Court

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7 years on the South Dakota Supreme Court. Data as of 2026-07-02. Informational only; verify against the primary source before relying. Not a consumer report (FCRA).