Chief Justice Steven R. Jensen has announced the reappointment of Judge Christina Klinger as the Presiding Judge for the Sixth Judicial Circuit in South Dakota. This decision comes after Jensen's own reselection as Chief Justice of the South Dakota Supreme Court.
According to Article V, Section 11 of the South Dakota Constitution, presiding judges are appointed by the chief justice and serve at their discretion. These judges act as administrative heads within their circuits. The Sixth Judicial Circuit includes Bennett, Gregory, Haakon, Hughes, Hyde, Jackson, Jones, Lyman, Mellette, Potter, Stanley, Sully, Todd and Tripp counties.
"Judge Klinger is committed to excellence and dedicated to ensuring the courts in the Sixth Judicial Circuit uphold their commitment to fairness and integrity," stated Chief Justice Jensen. "She is to be commended for her leadership of the circuit."
Judge Klinger completed her undergraduate studies at the University of South Dakota in 2000 and earned her juris doctor from its School of Law in 2003. She served as a law clerk for the Third Judicial Circuit from 2003 to 2004 before entering private practice. In 2019 she was appointed as a circuit court judge for the Sixth Judicial Circuit and has held the position of presiding judge since 2023.