Section 16-19-99 - Attorney discipline--Proceedings confidential--Violation as contempt--Exceptions.
16-19-99. Attorney discipline--Proceedings confidential--Violation as contempt--Exceptions. All proceedings involving allegations of misconduct by or the disability of an attorney shall be kept confidential until a formal complaint asking for disciplinary action is filed with the Supreme Court by the board or the attorney general, or the respondent-attorney requests that the matter be public, or the investigation is predicated upon a conviction of the respondent-attorney for a crime or, in matters involving alleged disability, the Supreme Court enters an order transferring the respondent-attorney to disability inactive status pursuant to § 16-19-88 or 16-19-92. All participants in the proceeding shall conduct themselves so as to maintain the confidentiality of the proceeding. Any violation by any person of the requirement of confidentiality shall constitute contempt and shall be punishable as such by the Supreme Court. This section shall not be construed to deny access to relevant information to authorized agencies investigating the qualifications of judicial candidates, the board of bar examiners or to other jurisdictions investigating qualifications for admission to practice, or an agency acting pursuant to order of the Chief Judge of the United States District Court for South Dakota concerning reciprocal discipline; or to law enforcement agencies investigating qualifications for government employment. In addition, the clerk of the Supreme Court shall transmit notice of all public discipline imposed by the Supreme Court on an attorney or the transfer to inactive status due to disability of an attorney to the national discipline data bank maintained by the American Bar Association.
Source: Supreme Court Rule 78-1, Rule XVI; Supreme Court Rule 95-12; SL 2009, ch 283 (Supreme Court Rule 09-04), eff. July 1, 2009.