Third Circuit Administration

WHO AND WHAT WE ARE

The Third Judicial Circuit Court is served by 6 circuit court judges, 1 law-trained magistrate court judge, and clerk magistrates in each county in the circuit. The 14 counties in east-central South Dakota within our Circuit are: Beadle, Brookings, Clark, Codington, Deuel, Grant, Hamlin, Hand, Jerauld, Kingsbury, Lake, Miner, Moody, and Sanborn. We serve a population of 128,000, and cover 10,500 square miles in this circuit.

Pursuant to our Constitution, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court is responsible for the general direction and supervision of the work of the circuit courts. The Chief Justice appoints a Presiding Judge in each circuit to have local administrative supervision and authority. The Presiding Judge in the Third Circuit is David Gienapp, chambered in the Brookings County Courthouse. Assisting the Presiding Judge is an appointed Circuit Court Administrator, Tony Benning, also officed in Brookings. The Circuit is also effectively served by a Court Services division, supervised by an appointed Chief Court Services Officer, Gary Moen, who has an office in Brookings.

Fifty-eight court reporters, deputy clerks, administrative secretaries, court services officers, law clerks, and bailiffs make up the rest of the supporting staff.

The primary work of the court in the 3rd Circuit

We also perform non-case type work:

         Civil wedding ceremonies
         Swearing-in ceremonies

Mission of Circuit Administration:

To ensure trust and confidence in the Third Judicial Circuit Court by providing leadership to the Clerks of Courts offices, Court Reporters, Court Services Officers, and Circuit Court and Magistrate Court Judges on internal court operations; building cooperative relationships between the courts, interrelated agencies, and the public; and responding to the changing expectations of the judicial environment, so that there will be effective communication of information about and access to the judicial process.

Mission of Clerks:

To respectfully, positively, and competently serve by providing accurate and timely information about and access to the judicial process in South Dakota.

Mission of Court Services

To serve citizens of the State of South Dakota by preventing crime and repairing the harm caused by crime thorough public safety and crime prevention in the community, accountability and opportunity for positive change of the offender, justice for the victim, and respectful treatment for all involved.

Circuit Court Administrator - Anthony W. Benning

Anthony has been with the Unified Judicial System since court reorganized in 1975 serving as the clerk of court in Lake County. He has served on numerous court development committees. He holds a bachelor's degree in history and social science and has completed credits in graduate work in the field of criminal justice. He is also a graduate of the Institute for Court Management's Court Manager Program.

Anthony and his wife Chrys have two grown children.

Chief Court Services Officer - Gary Moen

Gary Moen of Brookings is the Chief Court Services Officer for the 3rd Circuit. He started his career with the State of South Dakota Unified Judicial System in June of 1986. He has a Bachelor of Science in Social Science degree from Dakota State College in Madison, with minors in Criminal Justice and Sociology.

Gary is responsible for planning, organizing and directing the activities of the Court Services program commonly called “probation.” Job responsibilities include formulating policies and procedures; planning, directing and evaluating the work of ten Court Services Officers and clerical staff throughout the circuit; maintaining cooperative relationships with state and local welfare and social service agencies, institutions and law enforcement agencies and relating the activities of the department to their service; and participating in coordinating councils, committees and other groups interested in probation and crime prevention.

Gary, his wife Sharon, and their family reside in Brookings.