South Dakota’s two nominees for federal district judge completed an important step in the nomination process after facing questions from the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Circuit court judge Camela Theeler and attorney Eric Schulte were both nominated by the Biden administration.
Both have the backing of Sen. John Thune and Sen. Mike Rounds, who were on hand to present the nominees to the committee Wednesday in Washington, D.C.
Theeler is a Pierre native who graduated from the University of South Dakota School of Law in 2000. She worked for the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of South Dakota starting in 2012 and was appointed as a judge in South Dakota's Second Circuit Court in 2018 by Gov. Dennis Daugaard.
Schulte is a lifelong Sioux Falls resident who received his J.D. from the USD law school in 1999. He has been a partner at the Davenport, Evans, Hurwitz & Smith law firm since 2005, and was president of the State Bar of South Dakota from 2015 to 2016.
They answered several questions posed by committee members, including their stance on the importance of diversity in the courtroom.
Theeler said growing diversity in the legal system benefits both citizens and the courts.
“It does help build trust in our system and integrity in our system when people come into court and they see a diverse group of people in the courtroom as well,” Theeler said.
That sentiment was shared by Schulte, who said he’ll prioritize reaching out to Native communities.
“South Dakota is nine percent to 10 percent Native American. And our state bar, as a value, has determined it’s important to have outreach to grade schools and high schools in Indian Country to encourage, potentially, careers in the practice of law," Schulte said. "So it’s something I think is important.”
Thune also noted Schulte is a member of the Academy of American Poets, a fact that seemed to intrigue several members of the committee. Sen. Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, asked Schulte whether poetry helps him maintain a sense of "equilibrium."
"It does, Senator," Schulte said. "I take great interest in poetry, it relaxes me, I believe it stimulates my mind."
"I'm an amateur poet, to be crystal clear," Schulte added.
Members of the Senate Judiciary Committee will pass on either a favorable, unfavorable or no recommendation to the Senate floor.
The fates of each nominee then rests in the hands of the full Senate. A date for an approval vote has not been set.
If approved, it will be the first time in several years that South Dakota's U.S. District Court would have no vacancies. In September of 2021, Judge Jeffrey Viken of Rapid City announced his retirement. Judge Karen Schreier of Sioux Falls announced plans to retire in January of 2023.
