Pierre, S.D. - Circuit Court Judge Max A. Gors has announced his retirement from the bench, and accepted a position as Senior Staff Attorney with the South Dakota Department of Corrections.

Gors has served as Circuit Court Judge since 1991, including serving as Presiding Judge for the Sixth Circuit since 2002. He has also served as Acting Supreme Court Justice.

Gors is a graduate of Augustana College and earned his law degree at Drake University. He served as Assistant Attorney General in both South Dakota and Iowa. He served as Deputy Secretary of Public Safety in 1974, Director of Energy from 1975-1976 and Secretary of Commerce from 1976-1978.

"I am very happy to welcome Max Gors onto my staff at the Department of Corrections," stated Corrections Secretary Tim Reisch. "He is arguably the most qualified individual in the state to fill this role given his wealth of legal experience, much of which is directly related to criminal justice and corrections issues."

Gors served as a member of the state Board of Pardons and Paroles on three occasions. He also served on Governor Rounds’ Adult Corrections Work Group from 2003-2004. He has served for the past five years as a member of the Corrections Commission, and currently serves on subcommittees of South Dakota’s Council of Juvenile Services.

He will begin his duties with the DOC January 2, 2007.

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