Clint Sargent
Clint Sargent has been practicing law with the Meierhenry Law Firm since his graduation from law school in 1998. He trained as a trial lawyer with Mark V. Meierhenry, former Attorney General of South Dakota and one of the state’s most reputable trial attorneys. Clint and Mark worked together on civil cases, specializing in eminent domain litigation and catastrophic injuries.
In addition to his civil work, Clint also maintains an extensive criminal defense practice. He has defended his clients at trial on a wide range of charges, including murder, assault, embezzlement, tax evasion, perjury and driving under the influence. He has been fortunate to work closely for more than a decade with Michael J. Butler, one of South Dakota’s premier criminal defense lawyers. Together, they have handled some of South Dakota’s highest-profile cases.
Clint has tried over 60 jury trials, both civil and criminal cases in state and federal court. He has argued before the South Dakota Supreme Court and the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit.
Clint has earned an AV rating from Martindale Hubbel and has been selected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® in the specialty of Personal Injury Litigation since 2010. In June 2015, Clint was named South Dakota Trial Lawyer of the Year by the South Dakota Trial Lawyers Association.
In 2017, Clint was inducted as a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, one of the premier legal associations in North America. Founded in 1950, the College is composed of the best of the trial bar from the United States and Canada. Fellowship in the College is extended by invitation only and only after careful investigation, to those experienced trial lawyers of diverse backgrounds, who have mastered the art of advocacy and whose professional careers have been marked by the highest standards of ethical conduct, professionalism, civility and collegiality. Lawyers must have a minimum of fifteen years trial experience before they can be considered for Fellowship. Membership in the College cannot exceed one percent of the total lawyer population of any state or province.
In 2019, Clint was selected as South Dakota’s sole representative to Owner’s Counsel of America, a national association of leading eminent domain lawyers across the country representing landowners.
In 2023, the Eighth Circuit Bar Association bestowed upon Clint the great honor of joining Mark V. Meierhenry and several other of Clint’s mentors as a recipient of the Richard S. Arnold Award for Distinguished Service. https://www.eighthcircuitbar.com/Arnold-Awards
clint@meierhenrylaw.com
EDUCATION
B.S.B.A. Accounting with Honors
University of South Dakota, 1994
Juris Doctor
University of South Dakota, 1998
ADMITTED TO PRACTICE
South Dakota
North Dakota
United States District Court, District of South Dakota
United States Court of Appeal for the Eighth Circuit
Supreme Court of the United States
MEMBERSHIPS
State Bar of South Dakota
– Bar Commissioner 2014-2017
– Co-Chair, Tort, Insurance & Trial Law Section 2004-2005
– Law School Committee 2007-present
South Dakota Trial Lawyers Association
– President 2009-2010
– President-Elect 2008-2009
– Secretary-Treasurer 2007-2008
– Board of Governors 2000-2018
American Association for Justice
– Board of Governors 2009-2018
– AAJ Ambassador 2004-2010
– AAJ Press Advisory Board 2003-2006
– New Lawyers Division Board of Governors 2001-2007
National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
American Board of Trial Advocates
Owner’s Counsel of America
– Board of Directors 2024-present
Fellow, American College of Trial Lawyers
– State Chairman 2023-present
– State Vice Chairman 2022-2023
HONORS & AWARDS
AAJ Ambassador of the Month – April 2006
USD Law School – Student Bar Association, Volunteer of the Year 2011-2012
Second Circuit Bar Association – Pro Bono Lawyer of the Year 2013
Best Lawyers – Sioux Falls Lawyers of the Year 2013 – Personal Injury Litigation
SDTLA Toast of the Trial Lawyers – 2013 and 2014
SDTLA Trial Lawyer of the Year – 2015
Richard S. Arnold Award for Distinguished Service – 2023
CIVIC & COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES
Coach & Sponsor – SEBA Youth Baseball
RD Hurd Second Circuit Bar Association Pro Bono Golf Tournament
– Committee member 2000-2001
– Co-Chair 2002-2018
Board of Directors – Groove, Inc. Youth Drumline
LHS Booster Club – Executive Committee
Board of Directors – Lake Madison Development Assoc.
FAMILY
Clint and his wife, Larissa, have three children, Jack, Kate and Gus.
Jury Trials
- M&L Masonry v. Swift Contractors,Inc., (Minnehaha Co. 1999)
Breach of Contract – Construction - Pullman v. Land O’Lakes, Inc., (U.S. District Court 1999)
Negligence & Breach of Warranty – Dairy Cattle - Muhs v. Johnson, (Minnehaha Co. 2000)
Wrongful Death – Drug Dealer Liability - Beesley v. Keller et al., (Hughes Co. 2000)
Negligence – Motor Vehicle Collision - United States v. Totaro, (U.S. District Court 2001)
Wire Fraud, Mail Fraud, RICO - State v. Mulder, (McCook Co. 2002)
Grand Theft, Theft by Deception - City of Sioux Falls v. Missouri River Energy Systems, (Minnehaha Co. 2002)
Eminent Domain – Condemnation – Road Project - Hall v. NACOLAH et al., (Minnehaha Co. 2002)
Insurance Fraud – Infliction of Emotional Distress - Gadbois v. Koch, (Minnehaha Co. 2002)
Civil Battery – “Road Rage” - State v. Klungseth, (Minnehaha Co. 2002)
Abetting Attempted Escape from Jail - Semmens v. Howard, (Minnehaha Co. 2002)
Breach of Contract – Plastic Surgery - Boxa et al. v. Vaughn et al., (Gregory Co. 2002)
Violation of Business Opportunity Act - State v. Abbas, (Turner Co. 2003)
Perjury - State v. Cyre I, (Meade Co. 2003)
Sale of Unregistered Securities – Theft by Deception - Plagmann v. Avera Queen of Peace, (Davison Co. 2003)
Medical Negligence - State v. Norgaard, (Minnehaha Co. 2004)
DUI on bicycle - Sturm v. Cross et al., (Minnehaha Co. 2004)
Negligence – Motor Vehicle Collison - Virchow v. Highland Manufacturing, Inc., (Kingsbury Co. 2004)
Breach of Warranty – Mobile Home - Oehlke v. Fuchs, (Minnehaha Co. 2004)
Negligence – Motor Vehicle Collision - United States v. Khaoon, (U.S. District Court 2004)
Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine - State v. Cyre II, (Meade Co. 2004)
Grand Theft by Deception - State v. Belden, (Minnehaha Co. 2005)
DUI - State v. Oien, (Lincoln Co. 2006)
DUI - State v. Gill, (Union Co. 2006)
Rape – 3rd Degree - Reagle v. Honeycutt, (Todd Co. 2007)
Breach of Contract – Farm and Ranch - State v. Jacobsen, (Minnehaha Co. 2008)
DUI – Hit and Run - State v. Metzger, (Lincoln Co. 2008)
DUI - State v. Huber, (Hyde Co. 2008)
Murder – 1st Degree - Reinfeld v. Hutcheson, (Minnehaha Co. 2009)
Negligence – Motor Vehicle Collision - SD DOT v. Woefel, (Minnehaha Co. 2009)
Eminent Domain – Condemnation – Road Project - City of Watertown v. Moriarty, (Codington Co. 2010)
Eminent Domain – Condemnation – Wastewater Plant - Peterson v. Smellie, (Minnehaha Co. 2010)
Civil Battery – Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress - United States v. Kelley, (U.S. District Court 2010)
Tax Evasion – False Claims - SD DOT v. P&J Enterprises, et al., (Minnehaha Co. 2010)
Eminent Domain – Condemnation – Road Project - AAA Collections, Inc., v. Doorneweerd, (Lincoln Co. 2010)
Breach of Contract – Medical Bills - United States v. Ortiz, (U.S. District Court 2010)
Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine - State v. Valencia, (Minnehaha Co. 2010)
DUI - Reinfeld v. Hutcheson II, (Minnehaha Co. 2010)
Negligence – Motor Vehicle Collision - State v. Gross, (Beadle Co. 2011)
Manslaughter - State v. Huber II, (Hyde Co. 2011)
Murder – 1st Degree - State v. Halverson, (McCook Co. 2011)
Simple Assault - E.L. Thompson Farms, LTD v. Aurora County, (Aurora Co. 2012)
Eminent Domain – Inverse Condemnation – Violation Due Process - Diamond Mowers, Inc. v. A&B Business, Inc. et al., (Lincoln Co. 2012)
Breach of Contract – Fraud - Aanenson v. Handwerk, (Minnehaha Co. 2013)
Breach of Contract – Business Partnership - United States v. Dalsted, (U.S. District Court 2013)
Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine - Deffenbaugh v. Steffen, (Minnehaha Co. 2014)
Breach of Contract – Defamation - SD DOT v. Miller/Walsh, (Minnehaha Co. 2014)
Eminent Domain – Condemnation – Road Project - Easton v. Davis, (Beadle Co. 2014)
Negligence – Motor Vehicle Collision - State v. McCahren, (Hughes Co. 2014)
Murder – 1st Degree - ND DOT v. Pennington, (Mountrail Co. 2014)
Eminent Domain – Condemnation – Road Project - ND DOT v. Pennington II, (Mountrail Co. 2015)
Eminent Domain – Condemnation – Road Project - Handwerk v. Aanenson, (Minnehaha Co. 2015)
Breach of Contract – Construction - ND DOT v. Helling, (McKenzie Co. 2015)
Eminent Domain – Condemnation – Road Project - ND DOT v. Stubstad, (Mountrail Co. 2015)
Eminent Domain – Condemnation – Road Project - State v. Bertram, (Gregory Co. 2016)
Murder – 1st Degree - DeJager v. Law, (Yankton Co. 2017)
Breach of Joint Venture – Fraud - State v. Krueger, (Beadle Co. 2018)
Murder – 1st Degree - State v. Hubers, (Charles Mix Co. 2018)
Grand Theft – Receiving Stolen Property - United States v. Eviglo, (U.S. District Court 2018)
False Claims – Wire Fraud - State v. Harruff, (Gregory Co. 2018)
Murder – 1st Degree - State v. Falkenberg, (Yankton Co. 2020)
Murder – 2nd Degree - State v. Lawrence, (Codington Co. 2022)
Grand Theft - State v. Jones, (McPherson Co. 2023)
Theft by Embezzlement - State v. Iron Horse, (Tripp Co. 2023)
Rape – 2nd Degree - United States v. Cardona, (U.S. District Court 2023)
Conspiracy to Dist. Meth. – Money Laundering - SD DOT et al. v. RCS Development, Inc., (Brookings Co. 2023)
Eminent Domain – Condemnation – Road Project - United States v. Martinez, (U.S. District Court 2024)
Sexual Assault – Kidnapping - City of Sioux Falls v. Johnson Properties, LLC, (Minnehaha Co. 2024)
Eminent Domain – Condemnation – Road Project - In re Estate of Judith O’Neill, (Todd Co. 2024)
Will Contest – Undue Influence