South Dakota state laws dictate that records showing municipal activities for example court documents, police arrest records, marriage licenses, traffic violations and more are open and offered to the public, largely because of the South Dakota Open Meetings Law. This law, itself in accordance with the Freedom of Information Act at the national level, provides Mansfield locals with specifics relating to instances of governmental involvement, including the addresses and names of those involved, the situations leading up an event, effects and sentences passed down, and much more. This legislation, which had been generally in line with the U.S. Freedom of Information Act, are in place to be certain U.S. Citizens and residents of Mansfield are able to comprehend their own protection under the law, and hold regulators and criminals culpable regarding their actions, supporting a free and open culture for all.