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SD Courts Launch New Website

People searching for court information in South Dakota find a more contemporary interface when they log on. That’s because the Unified Judicial Systems sports a revamped website when administrators found the old website needed updates.

Gone is the former, plainer internet portal for South Dakota’s court system. Users who click on the UJS website now are greeted by a sleek design, colorful photos, and quick links to the most frequented topics.

Director of Policy and Legal Services Greg Sattizahn says the old website felt outdated. He says people had to navigated a complicated path to popular sections.

"Some of the most common things were actually the things that were a little bit more difficult to get to," Sattizahn says. "So the new format kind of highlights those things through quick links to things like Supreme Court opinions, information about jury duty, things that we found that the public is looking for, that they can get there."

Sattizahn says the new website makes material more accessible.

"It contains a lot of information, just background information on the court system, but it also has information for people that are going to court, that need help maybe with a small claims case, or are looking to do something with the courts," Sattizahn says. "We have a number of forms that are available to them, and just a lot of information that should be very helpful to the public, for attorneys, the media, educators that may have students that are going to watch a Supreme Court session, things like that."

According to Sattizahn, the new website allows the UJS to expand into areas of social media that the court system hadn’t previously been able to explore. 

Visit the new website for South Dakota's Unified Judicial System.

Kealey Bultena grew up in South Dakota, where her grandparents took advantage of the state’s agriculture at nap time, tricking her into car rides to “go see cows.” Rarely did she stay awake long enough to see the livestock, but now she writes stories about the animals – and the legislature and education and much more. Kealey worked in television for four years while attending the University of South Dakota. She started interning with South Dakota Public Broadcasting in September 2010 and accepted a position with television in 2011. Now Kealey is the radio news producer stationed in Sioux Falls. As a multi-media journalist, Kealey prides herself on the diversity of the stories she tells and the impact her work has on people across the state. Kealey is always searching for new ideas. Let her know of a great story! Find her on Facebook and twitter (@KealeySDPB).