Republican Incumbent for Pennington County State's Attorney
Lara Roetzel has been seeking justice for the people of
Pennington County for nearly thirty years.
Lara Roetzel
Republican Incumbent for
State's Attorney
In addition to her zealous pursuit of justice, Roetzel has established leadership standards that include transparency, prioritizing attorney morale to improve retention and recruitment, and refining internal processes and policies affecting outcomes.
Roetzel, who has served as a prosecuting attorney for most of her 28-year legal career, was unanimously appointed as Pennington County State's Attorney in April 2023 after serving as Interim State's Attorney the previous year. Prior to that, she acted as chief criminal deputy state’s attorney for Pennington County since 2009. She has prosecuted hundreds of homicides, sexual assaults and other high-profile crimes.
Roetzel graduated from the University of Nebraska in 1993 and Creighton School of Law in 1996. She was chosen as the South Dakota Prosecutor of the Year in 2017.
The State's Attorney Role
The Pennington County State's Attorney is the chief prosecutor of adult and juvenile crimes in Pennington County, but that is only a part of the job. The State's Attorney's Office also represents the community in Abuse and Neglect proceedings, and mental health commitment hearings and advises the other Pennington County departments, as well as the Board of County Commissioners, on legal matters. Within these roles, the PCSOA office serves this community through several important programs.
Term
Expires 12/31/2024
Address
130 Kansas City Street
Suite 300
Rapid City, SD 57701
Hours of Operation
8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Monday - Thursday
Friday by appointment only
(excluding holidays)