Secretary of State Chris Nelson said Thursday he has verified enough signatures to place a proposed constitutional amendment on next year's ballot that would strip judges of immunity from lawsuits about decisions made.
Nelson said petitions brought to his office last month contain the necessary 33,456 signatures to qualify the measure for placement on the 2006 general election ballot.
If voters approve the proposal, South Dakota probably would be the first state where judges could be put on trial if people think their rights have been violated by those judges. People could press for civil damages or even criminal charges.
Judicial immunity, the doctrine that bars people from suing judges over their official acts, was established by the U.S. Supreme Court in an 1871 case.
http://www.argusleader.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051223/NEWS/512230308/1001
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