Hughes County
Established in November 1880, Hughes County, South Dakota, covers approximately 741 square miles. Despite its expansive land area, the county is home to a modest population of 17,692 people, making it the least populous capital county in the country. The county seat, Pierre, also serves as the state capital, adding to its significance within the region.
Hughes County's trial court system consists of the Magistrate Court and Circuit Court. The Magistrate Court handles misdemeanor criminal cases, which are crimes with penalties not exceeding a $1,000 fine and/or imprisonment in the county jail for up to 1 year. Additionally, the Magistrate Court hears preliminary matters in serious criminal cases and small claims involving disputed amounts of $4,000 or less. The Hughes County Circuit Court is primarily a trial court that handles a variety of matters, including divorce, probate, guardianship, adoption, juvenile proceedings, felony, criminal proceedings, and civil lawsuits. The circuit court also hears specific appeals from magistrate courts or administrative agencies.
In Hughes County, court records are public information that members of the public can request and inspect. Most records can be accessed from public kiosk terminals at the Hughes County courthouse and printed at 20 cents per page. For more information about in-person requests for court records in the county, you can contact the Hughes County Clerk of Courts at (605)773-3713. Alternatively, you can use the statewide Public Access Record Search (PARS) tool to search for criminal case records in Hughes County. Please note that there is a $20 fee for each search submitted. The fee is charged when the search is submitted and applies regardless of whether the search returns any records. Civil case records are available on the statewide civil judgment query portal. You can pay as you retrieve judgments or send an email to set up a subscription account to use the civil cases judgment system.
