Noem appoints DeVaney to seat on South Dakota Supreme Court

PIERRE, S.D. (AP) – South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem has appointed Patricia DeVaney the state Supreme Court.

DeVaney has served as a judge in South Dakota’s Sixth Judicial Circuit since 2012, when she was appointed by then-Gov. Dennis Daugaard. She fills the vacancy created when Justice Steven Zinter died in October of complications from routine surgery.

The 50-year-old DeVaney graduated summa cum laude from the University of South Dakota in 1990 and later earned her law degree from the University of Virginia. She began her career in the state attorney general’s office in 1993, where she worked as an appellate and trial lawyer until 2012.

Noem says DeVaney has 25 years of diverse experience in the courtroom and has a passion for public service.

AP-WF-04-05-19