--- title: "Chad R. Callahan | KnowJudges" canonical: "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/chad-r-callahan-sd-trial" page_type: "judge_profile" updated: "2026-10-07" --- # Chad R. Callahan South Dakota Circuit Court · Circuit Judge ## Profile - Court: South Dakota Circuit Court - State: South Dakota - Role: Circuit Judge - Service status: active - Last verified: 2026-10-02 ## Summary Official statewide and applicable court procedural guidance applies to this judge. ## Biography ### Professional career - Circuit Judge, Fourth Judicial Circuit Deadwood - appointed April 24 2026 by Gov Rhoden replacing Mike Day, previously Magistrate - Described as South Dakota Fourth Circuit judge appointed April 24, 2026 by Governor Larry Rhoden, succeeding retired Michael Day, after service as that circuit’s magistrate - Private practice PA & Western SD from 2006 Meade County - Began his legal career in private practice and later held the role of a public defender in Pennington County - Chad Callahan was recently appointed by Governor Larry Rhoden to serve as a circuit court judge in the Fourth Judicial Circuit, filling the vacancy left by the retirement of Judge Michael W. Day ### Education - Upbringing in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, University of Pittsburgh Johnstown political-science bachelor’s (1994), Ohio Northern University J.D. (1998), private practice, Pennington County public defense and assistant attorney general under Marty Jackley (2013–2017) ### Additional information - Magistrate Fourth Circuit Sturgis/Deadwood/Belle Fourche ~2017-2026 - Asst AG SD 2013-2017 - Before his appointment as a circuit judge, Callahan held the role of a magistrate judge in the Fourth Judicial Circuit, where he gained experience handling a variety of cases and earned endorsements from his peers and the presiding judge - U; n; i; v; e; r; s; i; t; y;; o; f; - P; i; t; t; s; b; u; r; g; h; - J; o; h; n; s; t; o; w; n; - A; - P; o; l; i; t; i; c; a; l; - S; c; i; e; n; c; e;; 1; 9; 9; 4 - O; h; i; o; - N; o; r; t; h; e; r; n; - D;; 1; 9; 9; 8 - Judge Callahan grew up in Johnstown, Pennsylvania - The Fourth Circuit covers Butte, Corson, Dewey, Harding, Lawrence, Meade, Perkins and Ziebach counties ## Before you appear - Read the judge-specific standing order first when one is listed. - Check the docket and case orders for requirements that supersede broader guidance. - Confirm current remote-access and courtroom technology arrangements before the proceeding. ## Courtroom Rules ### electronic devices and media Scope: statewide South Dakota's published statewide guidance permits expanded media coverage in circuit and magistrate proceedings only when the parties and court agree, and the court may modify the coverage at any time. Evidence excerpt: Expanded media coverage (audio, video and still photos) is allowed when the parties of the case and the court all agree that such coverage should be permitted. [South Dakota Unified Judicial System: Circuit Court Media Coverage](https://ujs.sd.gov/for-the-media/) Source checked: 2026-07-27 ## Sources - [Official profile](https://ujs.sd.gov/sd-unified-judicial-system-directory/) - [Official roster](https://ujs.sd.gov/court-finder/fourth-judicial-circuit/circuit-contacts-fourth-judicial-circuit/) - [South Dakota Unified Judicial System Directory](https://ujs.sd.gov/sd-unified-judicial-system-directory/) - [South Dakota Unified Judicial System: Circuit Court Media Coverage](https://ujs.sd.gov/for-the-media/) - [Biography source supplied in SD-Judges.csv](https://news.sd.gov/news?id=news_kb_article_view&sys_id=e6e87d0847680750a497127ba26d430b) - [Biography source supplied in SD-Judges.csv](https://www.kotaradio.com/2026/04/27/governor-appoints-chad-callahan-as-fourth-circuit-judge/) - [Biography source supplied in SD-Judges.csv](https://news.sd.gov/news?id=news_kb_article_view&sys_id=e6e87d0847680750a497127ba26d430b) - [Biography source supplied in SD-Judges.csv](https://www.kotaradio.com/2026/04/27/governor-appoints-chad-callahan-as-fourth-circuit-judge/) - [South Dakota Unified Judicial System official judicial roster](https://ujs.sd.gov/sd-unified-judicial-system-directory/) - [South Dakota Unified Judicial System: Circuit Court Media Coverage](https://ujs.sd.gov/for-the-media/) - [Biography source supplied in SD-Judges.csv](https://news.sd.gov/news?id=news_kb_article_view&sys_id=e6e87d0847680750a497127ba26d430b) - [Biography source supplied in SD-Judges.csv](https://www.kotaradio.com/2026/04/27/governor-appoints-chad-callahan-as-fourth-circuit-judge/) - [sdcourtsdaily.com](https://sdcourtsdaily.com/governor-rhoden-appoints-chad-callahan-as-fourth-judicial-circuit-judge/) - [www.keloland.com](https://www.keloland.com/news/local-news/rhoden-appoints-chad-callahan-to-4th-judicial-circuit/) - [sodak.news](https://sodak.news/judge-chad-callahan-appointed-to-south-dakotas-fourth-judicial-circuit-court/) - [South Dakota Unified Judicial System official judicial roster](https://ujs.sd.gov/sd-unified-judicial-system-directory/) - [South Dakota Unified Judicial System: Circuit Court Media Coverage](https://ujs.sd.gov/for-the-media/) - [Biography source supplied in SD-Judges.csv](https://news.sd.gov/news?id=news_kb_article_view&sys_id=e6e87d0847680750a497127ba26d430b) - [Biography source supplied in SD-Judges.csv](https://www.kotaradio.com/2026/04/27/governor-appoints-chad-callahan-as-fourth-circuit-judge/) ## JSON-LD ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/chad-r-callahan-sd-trial", "url": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/chad-r-callahan-sd-trial", "name": "Chad R. 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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.