Obtaining the Official Transcript: February 10, 2026 TPO Hearing in Mentele v. Karimi

In the seemingly never-ending series of protection order filings brought by 605 Cannabis LLC against me, WeedPress continues to build and preserve the complete public record on matters involving South Dakota’s medical cannabis program. We are now on censorship attempt number 7 in four months between two county courthouses…

Today, I received a response from the Minnehaha County court recorder regarding my request for the transcript of the February 10, 2026 hearing (Case 49TPO26-45).

Here is the substance of the communication I received:

Good afternoon:

I received an email from our Clerk of Courts here in Sioux Falls, Minnehaha County along with the email that you had sent… In order to order a transcript, you would first have to pay a retainer via cash or check… I show the hearing on 2/10/26 went from about 1:36 to 2:15, so it would run about $150.00 for me to transcribe that. Completion of the transcript would be about two to three weeks after I receive the payment. Once I am done with the transcript, I will file the original in the file. You will receive a copy…

Unfortunately I can’t provide [an electronic recording] because the Supreme Court has put a rule out that electronic recordings are not allowed.

I replied immediately as follows:

Hi,

I will have payment via check sent over by mail later today. Please take your time, there’s absolutely no rush.

Greatly appreciated! Thank you for the helpful details and explanation!

Very truly yours,

Jason Karimi

I will be mailing the $150 retainer check today to the Minnehaha County Courthouse so the transcription process can begin. The transcript should be completed within approximately two to three weeks after payment is received.

Why This Matters

This is the sixth or seventh time 605 Cannabis leadership has sought court intervention to restrict my blogging and public records work on matters involving 605 Cannabis and South Dakota’s medical cannabis program. Preserving the full verbatim record of these hearings is essential for transparency — both for the upcoming May 12, 2026 hearing and for the long-term Paper Trail.

The public has a right to see exactly what is being said in these repeated proceedings, especially when they involve attempts to restrain protected speech on issues of significant public interest.

I will publish the transcript (or key excerpts) once it is received and filed with the court. In the meantime, the work of documenting the full record continues.

Reader Note: The material in these transcripts may be concerning or disappointing to many in the cannabis community. They document repeated legal efforts to restrict public records analysis and policy discussion in our regulated industry.

Reader discretion is advised.