Codington County State’s Attorney Reports Dramatic Turnaround in Case Timelines

Northeast Radio SD News – Watertown, SD - Codington County is seeing a shift in how justice is administered, with criminal cases now moving through the system at more than double their previous speed. During the April 14, 2026, meeting of the County Board of Commissioners, State’s Attorney Alison Bakken detailed a series of aggressive reforms and strategic partnerships that have slashed average case resolution times from 200 days down to just 90 days.

The center of Bakken’s report was a new circuit court policy that took effect on January 1, 2026. The policy explicitly targets the “dead time” often found in criminal prosecution, setting a firm expectation for resolution within a three-month window.

According to Bakken, the primary objective of this shift is fiscal as much as it is judicial. “The goal is to reduce court-appointed attorney fees and reduce jail time,” she explained to the Board, noting that faster processing directly correlates to lower taxpayer burdens for pre-trial detention.

A Hybrid Approach to Social Advocacy

A key driver of this newfound efficiency is an innovative partnership between the State’s Attorney’s Office and the Community Service Office. By integrating Community Service Officer Angie Collignon into the process, the county has successfully offloaded administrative and social work tasks that previously bogged down legal counsel.

Bakken highlighted that this collaboration allows attorneys to focus on litigation while Collignon handles the “social worker part that the attorneys were doing”. This shift has not only cleared backlogs but has also contributed to a significant “reduction in pre-trial detention and a deduction in court-appointed attorney fees”.

Addressing Emerging Community Issues

Beyond the courtroom, Bakken is turning her attention to a troubling rise in local citations. “There has been an increase in underage citations,” Bakken reported, adding that her office is proactively organizing an “underage diversion program meeting to address this” trend.

Additionally, Bakken touched on several other community and administrative updates:

·         Legal Outreach: Her office will participate in Law Day by teaching a class at the high school and conducting a mock preliminary hearing for Lake Area Technical College students.

·         Victim Advocacy: Bakken reminded the community of the “Walk a Mile in Her Shoes” event on May 1st to support the Beacon Center, where she will represent the Sexual Assault Response Team.

·         Jury Trends: Residents may see an uptick in jury trial notifications between June and December, as more cases reach the trial stage.

·         Community Safety: As the warmer months approach, Bakken urged citizens to be vigilant against theft by removing valuables from their vehicles and ensuring doors are locked.

While the speed of prosecution has improved, Bakken noted that her office continues to handle a heavy load of “unique criminal prosecution cases” alongside ongoing property tax freeze assessment appeals.