Governor Noem Appoints Abigail Howard to Third Judicial Circuit Court

PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release: Dec. 13, 2024
Contact:Alisa Bousa, Public Information Officer, [email protected]or 605.773.2031

Governor Noem Appoints Abigail Howard to Third Judicial Circuit Court

PIERRE, S.D.- Gov. Kristi Noem announced the appointment of the Honorable Abigail (Abbey) Howard to the Third Judicial Circuit Court.

"In addition to Abbey's current experience on the bench, she was raised with service to others as a foundational principle," said Gov. Noem. "I am confident she will continue to serve the people in her circuit and our state with compassion, fairness and excellence."

Judge Howard grew up in Volga. She obtained her undergraduate degree from South Dakota State University graduating magna cum laude and received her juris doctorate from the University of South Dakota Knudson School of Law, where she was an editor of the South Dakota Law Review.

Judge Howard started her law practice at Fite & Pierce Law Office in Brookings. In 2013, she joined the Brookings County State's Attorney's Office as a prosecutor. She was elected as the Brookings County State's Attorney in 2016. She was appointed as a magistrate judge in the Third Judicial Circuit in 2018. As a magistrate judge, she has handled court in Brookings, Beadle, Codington, Lake and Moody counties.

"I'm honored and humbled by the faith placed in me by the Governor. I look forward to continue serving the citizens of the Third Circuit in this new capacity," Judge Howard said.

The Third Judicial Circuit includes Beadle, Brookings, Clark, Codington, Deuel, Grant, Hamlin, Hand, Jerauld, Kingsbury, Lake, Miner, Moody and Sanborn counites.

Judge Howard is married to her husband, Lance, who works as a senior wealth management officer at First Bank & Trust. They live in Brookings and have three children.

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A photo of Abigail Howard can be found here.

About South Dakota Courts:The Unified Judicial System (UJS) consists of the Supreme Court, Circuit Courts and State Court Administrator's Office. The Supreme Court is the state's highest court and final decision maker on South Dakota law. The Circuit Courts are the state's trial courts where criminal proceedings and civil litigation are handled. The State Court Administrator's Office provides centralized administrative assistance and support services for the South Dakota judiciary. Learn more at https://ujs.sd.gov.

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