Steven Lee Zinter (September 18, 1950 – October 30, 2018) was an American lawyer who served as an associate justice of the South Dakota Supreme Court.

Early life and education

Zinter was born in

Minneapolis Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...

Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...

, on September 18, 1950, and attended the University of South Dakota, receiving his

Bachelor of Science A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for programs that generally last three to five years. The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Science was the University of ...

in 1972 and his

Juris Doctor The Juris Doctor (J.D. or JD), also known as Doctor of Jurisprudence (J.D., JD, D.Jur., or DJur), is a graduate-entry professional degree in law and one of several Doctor of Law degrees. The J.D. is the standard degree obtained to practice law ...

in 1975.'2005 South Dakota Legislative Manual,' The Judicial Branch-Chapter 5, Biographical Sketch of Steven L. Zinter, pg. 472-473

Legal career

He did not take the bar exam as he was admitted to the South Dakota bar under the state's

diploma privilege In the United States, the diploma privilege is a method for lawyers to be admitted to the bar (i.e. authorized to practice law) without taking a bar examination. Wisconsin is the only jurisdiction that currently allows diploma privilege as an alt ...

. He opened a private practice in Pierre, served as an Assistant Attorney General of South Dakota for the state, and served as Hughes County

State's Attorney In the United States, a district attorney (DA), county attorney, state's attorney, prosecuting attorney, commonwealth's attorney, or state attorney is the chief prosecutor and/or chief law enforcement officer representing a U.S. state in a loc ...

. In 1987 Zinter was appointed a circuit court

judge A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as a part of a panel of judges. A judge hears all the witnesses and any other evidence presented by the barristers or solicitors of the case, assesses the credibility an ...

and became presiding judge of the sixth judicial circuit in 1997. Zinter also served as trustee of the South Dakota Retirement System and president of the South Dakota Judges Association.

South Dakota Governor The governor of South Dakota is the head of government of South Dakota. The governor is elected to a four-year term in even years when there is no presidential election. The current governor is Kristi Noem, a member of the Republican Party who t ...

Bill Janklow William John Janklow (September 13, 1939January 12, 2012) was an American lawyer and politician and member of the Republican Party who holds the record for the longest tenure as Governor of South Dakota: sixteen years in office. Janklow had the t ...

appointed him to the state supreme court on April 2, 2002.

Death

Zinter died on October 30, 2018, in Cannon Falls, Minnesota, from complications from surgery at the Mayo Clinic, in

Rochester, Minnesota Rochester is a city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and the county seat of Olmsted County. Located on rolling bluffs on the Zumbro River's south fork in Southeast Minnesota, the city is the home and birthplace of the renowned Mayo Clinic. Acco ...

, at the age of 68.

References

1950 births 2018 deaths Lawyers from Minneapolis University of South Dakota alumni South Dakota lawyers South Dakota state court judges Justices of the South Dakota Supreme Court People from Pierre, South Dakota University of South Dakota School of Law alumni 21st-century American judges 20th-century American judges 20th-century American lawyers {{SouthDakota-state-judge-stub