--- title: "Scott A. Roetzel | KnowJudges" canonical: "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/scott-a-roetzel-sd-trial" page_type: "judge_profile" updated: "2026-10-07" --- # Scott A. Roetzel 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 - Appointed a Seventh Circuit judge on April 17, 2024, and sworn in on July 9, 2024 - Circuit judge for South Dakota’s 7th Judicial Circuit, appointed by Governor Kristi Noem in April 2024, with a career spanning public prosecution, private practice, and federal legal work - His career also included medical-malpractice and insurance-defense work at Johnson Eiesland, Assistant US Attorney service on federal tort claims, senior litigation counsel for Pennington County, and Assistant Attorney General supervising the Rapid City office from 2017 to 2024 - He held the role of Pennington County deputy state’s attorney from 1992 to 1996 and chief deputy in 1996 - South Dakota Attorney General's Office, Assistant Attorney General - Pennington County State's Attorney's Office, prosecutor - Assistant U.S. Attorney, District of South Dakota ### Education - University of South Dakota — B.A. (1989) ### Additional information - He received South Dakota Prosecutor of the Year recognition in 2014. - JD in 1992, with law-school internships at Johnson Johnson Colbath & Huffman and Gunderson Palmer Goodsell & Nelson - U; n; i; v; e; r; s; i; t; y;; o; f; - S; o; u; t; h; - D; a; k; o; t; a;,; - B;. - A;.;,;; 1; 9; 8; 9 - S; c; h; o; o; l;; o; f; - L; a; w;,; - J;. - D;.;,;; 1; 9; 9; 2 ## 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/) - [Gov. Noem Appoints Roetzel & Kelderman to 7th Judicial Circuit Court](https://ujs.sd.gov/ujs-news/governor-noem-appoints-roetzel-and-kelderman-to-seventh-judicial-circuit-court/) - [Gov. Noem Appoints Roetzel & Kelderman to 7th Judicial Circuit Court](https://ujs.sd.gov/ujs-news/governor-noem-appoints-roetzel-and-kelderman-to-seventh-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/) - [Gov. Noem Appoints Roetzel & Kelderman to 7th Judicial Circuit Court](https://ujs.sd.gov/ujs-news/governor-noem-appoints-roetzel-and-kelderman-to-seventh-judicial-circuit-court/) - [www.usd.edu](https://www.usd.edu/academics/colleges-and-schools/knudson-school-of-law/south-dakotan-lawyer/law-alumnus-and-south-dakota-circuit-court-judge-scott-roetzel-reflects-on-his-time-at-usd) - [ujs.sd.gov](https://ujs.sd.gov/sd-unified-judicial-system-directory/scott-a-roetzel/) - [news.sd.gov](https://news.sd.gov/news?id=news_kb_article_view&sys_id=a51647be47ed4610854b61d2e16d43f4) - [www.keloland.com](https://www.keloland.com/news/local-news/new-pennington-co-7th-circuit-court-judges-sworn-in/) - [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/) - [Gov. Noem Appoints Roetzel & Kelderman to 7th Judicial Circuit Court](https://ujs.sd.gov/ujs-news/governor-noem-appoints-roetzel-and-kelderman-to-seventh-judicial-circuit-court/) ## JSON-LD ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/scott-a-roetzel-sd-trial", "url": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/scott-a-roetzel-sd-trial", "name": "Scott A. Roetzel | KnowJudges", "description": "Scott A. Roetzel, South Dakota Circuit Court. Source-linked judicial identity, courtroom procedures, and presentation guidance.", "dateModified": "2026-10-07", "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/#website" }, "mainEntity": { "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/scott-a-roetzel-sd-trial#judge" } }, { "@type": "Person", "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/scott-a-roetzel-sd-trial#judge", "name": "Scott 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.