Delegates test their way to the top in two exams

By Madison Rost

On Tuesday afternoon, all Girls State participants chose between a class that taught information on law and court procedures or law enforcement. Following the class, the girls took either the bar exam or the law enforcement exam. Sandy McKeown, an associate professor, taught the class on law and court procedures and Col. Craig Price, superintendent of the South Dakota Highway Patrol spoke at the Law Enforcement class.

McKeown works in the Department of Political Science, Criminal Justice Program and the Government Research Bureau at the University of South Dakota. She teaches classes about justice ethics in criminal cases, as well as research in criminal justice and criminal law.

“The main idea (of the class and exam) is to get the girls clear on the basic structure of the judicial system and how it works when someone is charged with a crime,” said McKeown. “So the girls are prepared for the judicial section and they are prepared to try a case with a criminal defendant.”

They discussed the structure of the criminal justice system including the Supreme Court and all of the lower levels of government. The class also focused on the rights the criminal has when they are charged with a crime, and the process the people affected go through afterward.

According to the South Dakota Highway Patrol, their goal is to continue to make South Dakota one of the greatest places in the world to live, work and raise a family.

In his class, Price stressed the improvements law enforcement has made over time, from when they stopped patrolling after the sun went down, to today’s patrolling tactics, monitoring around the clock.

“The police force has recognized that at night, that’s when most people would take the opportunity to come out of their houses and maybe partake in activities that are not welcome in communities,” Price said. “There are so many more citizens that pay attention and give information to law enforcement. We think the citizens really are the best eyes and ears out there helping us.”

Recently, women have started to become a familiar face in the predominately male profession of law enforcement.

Deanna Johnson, a senior counselor at Girls State, is the first woman in the Yankton area of South Dakota to be a part of the K-9 unit.

The unit did not even have female uniforms at the time Johnson starting working with the dog unit. Johnson hopes to see more women in male dominant fields in the near future and encourages Girls State delegates to not be discouraged.

“I had a lot of leaders in the law enforcement community tell

me that they didn’t think it would be a good idea for me to go into law enforcement — not because of being a female, but because I’m a small female,” Johnson said. “You are going to get discouraging comments or suggestions.”

If thinking about pursuing a career in law enforcement, she said, make sure to look into all of the branches: sheriff’s office, the police department, and the

highway patrol. Some careers have challenges, such as the law enforcement field, she pointed out. Many of these career paths require and provide the right kind of training in order to be safe and be able to take control of situations where people can be bigger and stronger than you.

“Don’t get discouraged; nobody knows what you’re capable of, but you,” Johnson said.

(Photo: Sandy McKeown prepares the delegates for the bar exam Tuesday afternoon. Madison Rost / Sacajawea Scroll)