Marty Jackley

Marty Jackley
Name	Marty Jackley
Birth date	1960s
Birth place	Pierre, South Dakota
Occupation	Attorney, Politician
Alma mater	South Dakota State University, University of South Dakota School of Law
Office	32nd and 33rd Attorney General of South Dakota
Term	2009–2019
Party	Republican Party

Marty Jackley

Marty Jackley is an American attorney and politician who served two terms as Attorney General of South Dakota and who has been involved in multiple statewide campaigns, federal appointments, and private practice roles. He has worked across roles associated with the South Dakota Department of Justice, the United States Department of Justice, state prosecutorial offices, and private law firms, intersecting with policy debates involving criminal justice, administrative law, and public ethics. Jackley’s career connects to figures and institutions from local prosecuting offices to national political networks including the Republican Party, the National Association of Attorneys General, and federal agencies.

Early life and education

Jackley was born in Pierre, South Dakota and raised in a family with roots in local civic life in the Midwest United States. He attended South Dakota State University where he completed undergraduate studies before enrolling at the University of South Dakota School of Law to obtain a Juris Doctor. During his academic years he interacted with legal educators and clinics affiliated with the American Bar Association, local trial courts such as the Hughes County Courthouse, and student chapters tied to national organizations like the Federalist Society and the American Constitution Society.

Legal career and early public service

After law school Jackley joined prosecutorial and private practice roles, beginning as an assistant state’s attorney and later moving to positions with the Minnehaha County State's Attorney's Office and the South Dakota Attorney General's Office. He litigated matters in state trial courts including the First Judicial District (South Dakota) and handled appeals in the South Dakota Supreme Court and the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit. Jackley worked on cases touching statutes such as the South Dakota Codified Laws provisions on criminal procedure, collaborating with agencies like the South Dakota Highway Patrol and the Federal Bureau of Investigation on investigations. His prosecutorial work placed him alongside elected prosecutors and legal officials from jurisdictions including Pennington County, South Dakota, Lincoln County, South Dakota, and tribal courts in partnerships with entities such as the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe and the Rosebud Sioux Tribe.

Jackley also served in advisory or appointed capacities, interfacing with federal entities such as the United States Department of Justice and advisory groups including the South Dakota State Bar Association and the American Prosecutors Research Institute. He litigated matters involving municipal entities like the City of Sioux Falls and regulatory boards such as the South Dakota Public Utilities Commission.

Tenure as South Dakota Attorney General

Elected as Attorney General in 2008 and re-elected subsequently, Jackley led the South Dakota Department of Justice through high-profile prosecutions, multistate litigation, and consumer protection actions. His office participated in national efforts coordinated through the National Association of Attorneys General and joined multistate suits alongside attorneys general from states including Texas, Florida, and Pennsylvania on matters linked to tobacco settlements, opioid litigation, and technology company practices. Jackley’s tenure involved court appearances before the United States District Court for the District of South Dakota, filings in the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals, and administrative proceedings with the Federal Trade Commission.

Policy areas under his supervision included criminal appeals argued before the South Dakota Supreme Court, coordination with federal prosecutors at the United States Attorney's Office for the District of South Dakota, and enforcement actions involving state regulatory entities such as the South Dakota Department of Social Services. High-profile matters drew attention from statewide media outlets like the Argus Leader and national publications including The New York Times and The Associated Press which reported on prosecutions, civil enforcement, and legal opinions issued by the attorney general’s office.

Jackley also issued formal legal opinions that informed legislative debates in the South Dakota Legislature on subjects involving statutory interpretation and constitutional challenges under the United States Constitution and the South Dakota Constitution. He coordinated with elected officials such as the Governor of South Dakota and county sheriffs across jurisdictions including Pennington County and Minnehaha County.

Gubernatorial and other political campaigns

Jackley has been an active candidate in statewide politics, campaigning in Republican primaries and general election cycles for offices including Governor of South Dakota and reelection bids for attorney general. His campaigns connected him with party organizations such as the Republican National Committee and state groups like the South Dakota Republican Party. In these contests he competed against figures such as former governors, state legislators, and other statewide officeholders from areas including Rapid City, Sioux Falls, and Aberdeen, South Dakota. Campaign platforms drew on policy debates involving criminal justice reform, fiscal stewardship debated in the South Dakota State Legislature, and interbranch disputes resolved by the South Dakota Supreme Court.

Jackley’s political activity involved endorsements and criticisms from national and state actors, engagement with fundraising networks, and participation in debates hosted by civic organizations in venues such as the South Dakota Public Broadcasting forums and university debate series at institutions like the University of South Dakota and South Dakota State University.

Post-attorney general career and later activities

Following his tenure as attorney general, Jackley returned to private practice, served in roles advising statewide campaigns, and considered further public service opportunities. He joined law firms and consulting groups that interact with regulatory agencies including the Federal Communications Commission and engaged in appellate work before courts such as the Eighth Circuit and state supreme courts. Jackley’s later activities included membership in legal associations like the American Bar Association, participation in civic organizations across South Dakota municipalities, and public commentary on legal issues for media outlets including the Associated Press and local newspapers. He remains a figure in state legal and political networks, connected to judicial administration in venues like the South Dakota Unified Judicial System and to policy debates involving state and federal actors.

Category:People from Pierre, South Dakota