---
title: "Amber D. Whittington | KnowJudges"
canonical: "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/amber-d-whittington-sd-limited"
page_type: "judge_profile"
updated: "2026-10-07"
---

# Amber D. Whittington

South Dakota Magistrate Court · Magistrate Judge

## Profile

- Court: South Dakota Magistrate Court
- State: South Dakota
- Role: Magistrate Judge
- Service status: active
- Last verified: 2026-10-02

## Biography

### Professional career

- Magistrate Judge, Second Judicial Circuit - appointed Jan 2 2026, bench Jan 12 2026 replacing Wade Warntjes
- South Dakota magistrate judge for the Second Judicial Circuit, appointed by the South Dakota Supreme Court and taking the bench on January 12, 2026
- Officially appointed on December 31, 2025 by the South Dakota Supreme Court to fill a vacant magistrate judge position in the Second Judicial Circuit, which covers Lincoln and Minnehaha counties
- Practiced at East River Legal Services and joined Minnehaha County Public Defender’s Office in 2020 as criminal defense attorney

### Education

- University of South Dakota Knudson School of Law — J.D. (2017)

### Additional information

- Described as a South Dakota Second Circuit magistrate appointed by the state Supreme Court, announced December 31, 2025 with bench start January 12, 2026.
- South Dakota Unified Judicial System: Amber D. Whittington — Judge Profile SD Judicial System
- Whittington’s appointment replaces Wade Warntjes.
- As a magistrate judge, she handles cases within the Second Judicial Circuit, which includes both criminal and civil matters at the trial court level
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## Sources

- [Official profile](https://ujs.sd.gov/court-finder/second-judicial-circuit/circuit-contacts-second-judicial-circuit/)
- [Official roster](https://ujs.sd.gov/court-finder/second-judicial-circuit/circuit-contacts-second-judicial-circuit/)
- [Second Judicial Circuit Contacts](https://ujs.sd.gov/court-finder/second-judicial-circuit/circuit-contacts-second-judicial-circuit/)
- [Biography source supplied in SD-Judges.csv](https://ktwb.com/2026/01/02/865401/)
- [Biography source supplied in SD-Judges.csv](https://www.thedakotascout.com/p/south-dakota-supreme-court-approves)
- [Second Judicial Circuit Contacts](https://ujs.sd.gov/court-finder/second-judicial-circuit/circuit-contacts-second-judicial-circuit/)
- [Biography source supplied in SD-Judges.csv](https://ktwb.com/2026/01/02/865401/)
- [Biography source supplied in SD-Judges.csv](https://www.thedakotascout.com/p/south-dakota-supreme-court-approves)
- [ujs.sd.gov](https://ujs.sd.gov/ujs-news/amber-d-whittington-appointed-a-magistrate-judge-in-the-second-judicial-circuit/)
- [ujs.sd.gov](https://ujs.sd.gov/sd-unified-judicial-system-directory/amber-whittington/)
- [Second Judicial Circuit Contacts](https://ujs.sd.gov/court-finder/second-judicial-circuit/circuit-contacts-second-judicial-circuit/)
- [Biography source supplied in SD-Judges.csv](https://ktwb.com/2026/01/02/865401/)
- [Biography source supplied in SD-Judges.csv](https://www.thedakotascout.com/p/south-dakota-supreme-court-approves)

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## Published courtroom rules

### Shared court rules

- [South Dakota Unified Judicial System: Circuit Court Media Coverage](https://knowjudges.com/courtroom-rules/national-shared-set-044935a56b62369d8361ec08) — Scope is limited to the court class in the source claim.  Shared court context only; case-type restrictions, exceptions, later amendments and case orders apply. This is not a personal preference or a complete rules inventory. [Official source](https://ujs.sd.gov/for-the-media/). Collected 2026-07-27.