Chief Justice Gilbertson delivers address to S.D. Legislature
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PIERRE — Despite the success of South Dakota’s drug courts, the judicial system is having a tough time keeping up with the wave of meth addiction in the state.
That was part of the message that a joint session of the South Dakota Legislature heard from Chief Justice David Gilbertson when he delivered his State of the Judiciary message on Wednesday.
Gilbertson called drug addiction from meth, opioids and fentanyl “a new wave of evil. It is literally a matter of life and death.”
The chief justice noted that drug addiction is not necessarily a youthful condition with the highest percentage of addicts in the 40 to 64 age range. The next highest age group are addicts ages 25 to 39.
With the establishment of the first South Dakota drug court in 2007, Gilbertson said organizers knew there was a problem in the state, but they thought it could be handled.
“Despite our best efforts, we are once again playing catch-up,” Gilbertson said.
Photo by Community News Service photo
Prior to offering his State of the Judiciary message to the Legislature, Chief Justice David Gilbertson made a presentation to Gov. Dennis Daugaard in recognition that this is the governor's last legislative session. The plaque Gilbertson presented also included the pen Daugaard used to sign his oath of office.