The Unified Judicial System has announced the appointment of Gary W. Schumacher as a magistrate judge for the Third Judicial Circuit by the South Dakota Supreme Court. This decision fills the vacancy left by Judge Abigail A. Howard, who was recently appointed as a circuit court judge in the same circuit. Schumacher is set to assume his new role on March 3, 2025.
Schumacher's educational background includes a bachelor of science degree in civil engineering from South Dakota State University obtained in 1987 and a juris doctor from the University of South Dakota School of Law earned in 1998. His legal career began at Wilkinson & Wilkinson law firm, which later became Wilkinson & Schumacher Law Prof. L.L.C., where he has practiced since 1998.
His professional experience also includes serving as Kingsbury County deputy state’s attorney from 1998 to 2008, Hamlin County state’s attorney from 2012 to 2016, and Kingsbury County state’s attorney since 2021. Additionally, he has been Kingsbury County veteran services officer since 2012.
Schumacher's military service spans several decades with deployments during Desert Shield/Desert Storm and Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. He retired from the U.S. Army Reserves and South Dakota Army National Guard at the rank of colonel in 2017.
In his capacity as magistrate judge, Schumacher will preside over cases in Beadle and Codington counties and manage Beadle County Drug & DUI Court. The Third Judicial Circuit encompasses multiple counties including Beadle, Brookings, Clark, Codington, Deuel, Grant, Hamlin, Hand, Jerauld, Kingsbury, Lake, Miner, Moody and Sanborn.