Fourth Circuit DUI Court and Northern Hills Drug Court will hold graduation ceremonies in January. The Fourth Circuit DUI Court event is scheduled for Thursday, January 22, 2026, at noon MST in the Top Floor Courtroom of the Lawrence County Courthouse in Deadwood. The Northern Hills Drug Court ceremony will take place on Tuesday, January 27, 2026, at 10 a.m. MST at the Sturgis Community Center Theater.
Family members, friends, and the public are invited to attend both events. Matthew K., a graduate from 2018, will deliver the keynote address at the Fourth Circuit DUI Court graduation. Sturgis Police Chief Geody VanDewater is set to be the keynote speaker for the Northern Hills Drug Court ceremony. Graduates are also expected to share their experiences with treatment court.
The Fourth Circuit Treatment Courts serve Butte, Lawrence, and Meade counties in western South Dakota. The DUI court operates out of Deadwood while the drug court meets in Sturgis. These courts have been active since 2007 and meet weekly.
According to information provided by organizers: “Treatment courts are the most successful intervention for leading people living with substance use and mental health disorders out of the criminal justice system and into lives of recovery and stability.”
Additional details about South Dakota’s treatment courts can be found on their official website at https://ujs.sd.gov/programs-services/treatment-courts.
For further information regarding these events or about Fourth Circuit Treatment Courts generally, interested parties may contact Treatment Court Coordinator Teresa Thybo by phone or email.
