All proceedings involving allegations of misconduct by or the disability of a judge shall be kept confidential until the commission's recommendation to the Supreme Court is filed or the accused requests that the matter be public, or the investigation is predicated upon a conviction of the judge for a crime as defined in SDCL 16-1A-12. All participants in the proceeding shall conduct themselves so as to maintain the confidentiality of the proceeding. Any violation by any person of the requirement of confidentiality shall constitute contempt and shall be punishable as such by the Supreme Court. This section shall not be construed to deny access to relevant information by authorized agencies investigating the qualifications of judicial candidates, other jurisdictions investigating qualifications for admission to practice, or law enforcement agencies investigating qualifications for government employment.
SDCL tit. 16, ch. 1A, app TO CHAPTER 16-1A, III, 1