Chief Defender Selected For New Office Of Indigent Legal Services

PIERRE, (KCCR) —South Dakota has a new Chief Defender. The South Dakota Commission on Indigent Legal Services has appointed Chris Miles as Chief Defender of the Office of Indigent Legal Services. The Office of Indigent Legal Services was created by the 2024 South Dakota Legislature in an effort to help counties reduce court appointed attorney fees and improve the defense of indigent defendants in the Unified Judicial System. Miles becomes the states first Chief Defender and comes from a nine year career in the Minnehaha County Public Defender office where he served as senior public defender and senior trial attorney. Miles, in his Minnehaha County position, supervised attorneys handling adult criminal, juvenile cases and child abuse and neglect cases. He also has a focus in appellate work which is another area of focus for the Office of Indigent Legal Services. In his new role, Miles will establish protocols for handling appeals, hiring attorneys and support personnel to litigate appeals, taking that burden off counties. Openings for employment in the office will be posted in the coming weeks.