--- title: "Kent A. Shelton | KnowJudges" canonical: "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/kent-a-shelton-sd-trial" page_type: "judge_profile" updated: "2026-10-07" --- # Kent A. Shelton 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 - He has been a candidate and elected official for Circuit Court Judge - Circuit 3, Position C, and currently holds this office until December 31, 2030 - Private practice Huron since 1990 Partner Churchill Manolis Freeman Kludt Shelton & Burns general practice criminal defense family real estate estate corporate - Circuit Judge, Third Judicial Circuit Position C Huron - appointed May 17 2018 by Gov Daugaard succeeding Jon Erickson - Long-serving, elected Circuit Court Judge in South Dakota, with a strong educational background and active role in the Third Judicial Circuit - Circuit Court Judge in South Dakota’s Third Judicial Circuit, which includes Miner County among others - The Third Circuit is composed of six Circuit Court Judges and two Magistrate Judges, with administrative oversight provided by a Presiding Judge and Circuit Court Administrator based in Brookings, SD - He earlier practiced as a partner at Churchill, Manolis, Freeman, Kludt, Shelton & Burns ### Education - University of Montana — J.D. (1989) ### Additional information - Appointed to South Dakota’s Third Judicial Circuit by Governor Dennis Daugaard in 2018. - Both his Bachelor’s degree (1986) - Chairman Huron College Endowment Fund - boards Huron Chamber Humane Society Cornerstones - Judge Shelton works alongside court staff including reporters, court service officers, and administrative personnel. - U; n; i; v; e; r; s; i; t; y;; o; f; - M; o; n; t; a; n; a; - B - A;; 1; 9; 8; 6;; n; a; t; i; v; e; - H; u; r; o; n - J - D;; 1; 9; 8; 9 ## 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/third-judicial-circuit/circuit-contacts-third-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&sys_id=92d0a9c41b9c69506e4aa97ae54bcbb4) - [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=92d0a9c41b9c69506e4aa97ae54bcbb4) - [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=92d0a9c41b9c69506e4aa97ae54bcbb4) - [ujs.sd.gov](https://ujs.sd.gov/sd-unified-judicial-system-directory/kent-a-shelton/) - [www.thepublicopinion.com](https://www.thepublicopinion.com/story/news/local/2018/05/18/gov-daugaard-appoints-kent-shelton-as-third-circuit-judge/116608562/) - [www.ballotready.org](https://www.ballotready.org/people/kent-a-shelton) - [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=92d0a9c41b9c69506e4aa97ae54bcbb4) ## JSON-LD ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/kent-a-shelton-sd-trial", "url": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/kent-a-shelton-sd-trial", "name": "Kent A. 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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.