South Dakota’s Open Meetings Law promises its people the ability to look for, acquire, and utilize records held by authorities, including arrest records, court records, marriage and divorce licenses, and records of traffic infractions, and this privilege extends to the residents of Erwin. This law, itself based on the Freedom of Information Act at the federal level, provides Erwin locals with specifics relating to instances of governmental involvement, such as the names and addresses of those involved, the events leading up an incidence, results and sentences handed down, and much more. Both authorities and criminals can be held responsible for their conduct as a consequence of these laws, which provide the populace with the tools they will need to explore issues outside of their authorities.