Judge: demotion over spat with SD Supremes, not Indian child welfare lawsuit

RAPID CITY — A state circuit court judge in Rapid City was stripped of his administrative title because of a dispute with the chief justice of the South Dakota Supreme Court and not an ongoing lawsuit in which he's accused of violating the Indian Child Welfare Act, the lower court judge said this week.

Chief Justice David Gilbertson issued an order this week removing Judge Jeff Davis as presiding judge of the 7th Circuit, a position the 67-year-old Davis had held since 2006. A presiding judge, in part, assigns cases and supervises court operations within the circuit.

Gilbertson appointed 7th Circuit Judge Craig Pfeifle as Davis' replacement, the Rapid City Journal reported.

http://www.capjournal.com/news/judge-demotion-over-spat-with-sd-supremes-not-indian-child/article_c2d9c22c-01a0-11e5-829c-93c4405671ab.html