--- title: "Jeffrey R. Connolly | KnowJudges" canonical: "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/jeffrey-r-connolly-sd-trial" page_type: "judge_profile" updated: "2026-10-07" --- # Jeffrey R. Connolly 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, Seventh Judicial Circuit Position B Rapid City - appointed Nov 29 2016 by Gov Daugaard succeeding Wally Eklund - Circuit judge on South Dakota’s 7th Judicial Circuit, appointed by Governor Dennis Daugaard on November 29, 2016, to succeed Judge Wally Eklund - Law Clerk Hon Andrew Bogue 2007 - Pro Se Law Clerk Hon Karen Schreier US District SD 2006-2007 - Experienced attorney and legal professional with a background in tribal law, public defense, and private practice, now serving as a circuit judge in South Dakota’s 7th Judicial Circuit, covering several rural and tribal counties - Circuit Judge for the 7th Judicial Circuit Court of South Dakota, which covers Custer, Fall River, Pennington, and Oglala Lakota counties ### Education - University of Wisconsin–Madison BA in 1998 and University of South Dakota JD in 2006, serving as a South Dakota Law Review editor. ### Additional information - Appointed to South Dakota’s Seventh Judicial Circuit on November 29, 2016, by Governor Dennis Daugaard, succeeding Wally Eklund. - Gunderson Palmer Nelson Ashmore Rapid City 2007-2016 civil criminal family public defense - He clerked for federal Judges Karen Schreier and Andrew Bogue, then practiced at Gunderson, Palmer, Nelson & Ashmore in Rapid City from 2007 until appointment - Presiding officer Oglala Sioux Tribal Council complaints - Before joining the bench, Connolly handled civil, criminal, and family law matters and was active in community legal services. - Listed in the South Dakota Unified Judicial System directory and is assigned to the Rapid City courtroom - handling civil, criminal and family matters. - Other service included presiding over judicial complaints for the Oglala Sioux Tribal Council and acting as special prosecutor for the Rosebud Sioux Tribe. - He has also served on boards for Dakota Plains Legal Services, the Rapid City Public Parks Foundation, and the Mount Rushmore Society - C; o; m; m; u; n; i; t; y; - C; o; l; l; e; g; e; - A; s; s; o; c; i; a; t; e;; 1; 9; 9; 6;;; - U; n; i; v; e; r; s; i; t; y;; o; f; - M; a; d; i; s; o; n; - A;; 1; 9; 9; 8 - S; o; u; t; h; - D; a; k; o; t; a; - S; c; h; o; o; l;; o; f; - L; a; w; - J - D;; 2; 0; 0; 6; - B; o; a; r; d; - E; d; i; t; o; r; s; - R; e; v; i; e; w - Community board work included Dakota Plains Legal Services, the Rapid City Public Parks Foundation and the Mount Rushmore Society. ## 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/seventh-judicial-circuit/circuit-contacts-seventh-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&sysparm_article=KB0031938) - [Biography source supplied in SD-Judges.csv](https://ujs.sd.gov/court-finder/seventh-judicial-circuit/circuit-contacts-seventh-judicial-circuit/) - [Biography source supplied in SD-Judges.csv](https://news.sd.gov/news?id=news_kb_article_view&sysparm_article=KB0031938) - [Biography source supplied in SD-Judges.csv](https://ujs.sd.gov/court-finder/seventh-judicial-circuit/circuit-contacts-seventh-judicial-circuit/) - [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&sysparm_article=KB0031938) - [Biography source supplied in SD-Judges.csv](https://ujs.sd.gov/court-finder/seventh-judicial-circuit/circuit-contacts-seventh-judicial-circuit/) - [ballotpedia.org](https://ballotpedia.org/Jeffrey_Connolly) - [www.lawyerdb.org](https://www.lawyerdb.org/lawyer/jeffrey-connolly/) - [ujs.sd.gov](https://ujs.sd.gov/sd-unified-judicial-system-directory/jeffrey-connolly/) - [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&sysparm_article=KB0031938) - [Biography source supplied in SD-Judges.csv](https://ujs.sd.gov/court-finder/seventh-judicial-circuit/circuit-contacts-seventh-judicial-circuit/) ## JSON-LD ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/jeffrey-r-connolly-sd-trial", "url": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/jeffrey-r-connolly-sd-trial", "name": "Jeffrey 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.