RAPID CITY, SD – James Bialota Jr., a Piedmont businessman, was convicted by a Pennington County jury on two misdemeanor charges on June 12, according to court records.

The jury found Bialota guilty of criminal trespass, a Class 1 misdemeanor under SDCL 22-35-6, and disorderly conduct, a Class 2 misdemeanor under SDCL 22-18-35. The charges stemmed from an incident on May 8, 2025. Bialota had entered not guilty pleas on both counts in May of last year.

The verdict, marked as amended by the jury and signed by a foreperson, was filed with the Pennington County Clerk of Courts on June 12, 2026.

Bialota, 48, is a U.S. Air Force veteran who grew up in Piedmont. He has sought Republican nominations for multiple offices in recent election cycles, most recently finishing as a long-shot candidate in the June 2 GOP primary for the state’s U.S. House seat. He is now seeking the Republican nomination for Commissioner of School and Public Lands, an office whose nominee is selected at the state party convention. The South Dakota Republican Party is holding its 2026 convention this week in Rapid City.

In response to a request for comment, Bialota alleged that witness tampering had occurred by the prosecutor, citing what he described as multiple witnesses, and said a motion to acquit has been filed based on those alleged violations. The Rapid City Post could not independently verify those claims. Court records show the verdict form is marked “Amended by Jury,” a notation that, according to sources inside Pennington County, reflects a clerical error in how the jury initially completed the form. The judge reviewed the matter and confirmed the jury’s intent, with the jury affirming its guilty findings on both counts. The Rapid City Post will continue to follow developments in this case.