NEWS FROM U.S. DISTRICT COURT
March 13, 2026

Western Division Magistrate Judge. Changes are coming to Rapid City when Magistrate Judge Danetta Wollmann retires at the end of the month. The United States District Court for the District of South Dakota has selected Mark Haigh to replace her.

Haigh grew up in Aberdeen and Pierre. Haigh received his undergraduate degree at The University of South Dakota and his juris doctorate, magna cum laude, from the University of Minnesota Law School. Haigh then clerked for Federal District Court then-Chief Judge Donald J. Porter in Pierre before entering private practice. He practiced in the Twin Cities for two years before moving to Sioux Falls where he was employed by Davenport, Evans, Hurwitz & Smith, LLP, becoming a partner in 1997. From January 2016 until accepting the magistrate judge position, Haigh was a partner at Evans, Haigh & Arndt, LLP. Haigh has extensive litigation experience. He also served as President Elect of the State Bar of South Dakota and on the Judicial Qualifications Committee of the State Bar of South Dakota. Approximately 80 percent of his practice has been in litigation and trial practice. He has also acted as a mediator in civil litigation.

Chief Judge Roberto Lange stated “I have known Mark Haigh for over 40 years, practiced law with him for 15 years, and presided over a jury trial and hearings he has handled. He is very hardworking, with the judgment, experience and compassion that will make him an excellent magistrate judge.”

Filing Documents under a Protective Order. In the past, if you wanted to file sealed documents pursuant to a protective order, you had to deliver the documents to the Clerk’s Office for filing. Now counsel can file sealed documents themselves. Instructions are available in our CM/ECF User Manual and Administrative Procedures on page 42.