The jury has just given their verdict and they have found SD Congressman Bill Janklow Guilty on all counts (including manslaughter)
I don’t know if there’s an appropriate forum for these types of news posts but I thought some people would find it interesting.
Does this mean that he’s going to resign?
I am pleased that he was not given a pass due to his political status.
Oh, good. I was concerned someone on the jury might actually buy that stupid “but he was having a diabetic reaction!” defense. Gah.
It’s said on CNN and other places he’s set to resign.
He did submit his letter of resignation, effective Jan 10th, the date of the sentencing.
Haj
I expect that he won’t have much choice but to resign, he’s very likely to lose his comittee and voting priveledges given the conviction and the house could simply expel him.
I don’t think I’ve met a South Dakotan who has neutral feelings about Janklow; lots of people hate him but he wins elections anyway so lots of people must love him too. His detractors now have a free pass to speak their minds about him (the newscasters spoke very poorly of him tonight) and it’s not pretty, he’s earned many serious enemies in the state, but before now they’ve been unable to speak their minds.
Given the current climate I expect he’d get slaughtered in another election so it wouldn’t surprise me if he decided to resign.
On preview I see Saint Zero and hajario’s posts and this news item.
Okay, the whole hypoglycemia defense is ridiculous.
Unhh. Ughh. Bleeeeeeeeeeh. I’m a diabetic. You just don’t forget to eat after giving yourself an injection. And if you’re that negligent with your own health, you shouldn’t be driving anyway. If your blood sugar was so low that you didn’t realize you were speeding or you were not seeing things, in my experience there would be other symptoms that would cause you to want to pull over. When I start not noticing things, my blood sugar is in the 40-45 mg/dL, and I have some serious tunnel vision going on. At that point it’s a short trip to being unconscious. Fool! You do not start driving without checking your blood sugar.
Ugh. This has thoroughly disgusted me. So thoroughly I am in Mr. T mode. Foo’.
As a motorcyclist I’m glad. I’ve heard a number of people do really stupid things that end up killing a motorcyclist. Good to know that he couldn’t just cop out of his screw up that cost someone their life. I know nothing else about the man, but I hope he gets the time.
lillalette, there is speculation that the ‘diabetes defense’ backfired on Janklow, as some jurors may have believed that by not eating and not checking his blood sugar, he was negligent and showed reckless disregard for the law.
Do you think the jerk will ever show any remorse? All I’ve seen so far is a “poor me” act.
All of the local papers have it in 2" letters on the front page this morning and it’s the lead story on all of the local TV news as well of course.
There are reports of dancing in the streets back west river and in Sioux Falls. Of course, here in the arch-conservative NE the morning coffee groups look as though they have been to a funeral.
As for myself, what’s that wonderful German phrase, schadenfreude? That best describes the feeling that I have. I just wish that someone didn’t have to die to bring about the bastard’s downfall.
I’m glad they convicted his ass. Even so, I believe the bastard got off light.
I started a thread on this many months ago when the guy was first busted. He’s an habitual offender regarding speeding laws and has been fined many times in the past. His attitude has always been one of arrogance and complete disregard for the safety of others, so I’m glad he’s gotten a comeuppance. Buh-bye, now.
From what I’ve heard of the guy’s driving record - yeah, he should resign for the good of his constituents and pay further penalties.
Given the political makeup of the board, I didn’t expect much sympathy for Janklow. I find it a little unseemly, though, that people are finding such joy in his misfortune, especially with poor Randolph Scott dead.
I see justice being served here if Janklow is removed and serves jail time. Does anybody else here, though, find it a little jarring that Ted Kennedy killed a woman in a car through at least negligent action, never felt the need to give up hes Senate seat, and only sacrificed his drivers license for a year?
Are you sure you don’t mean “From what I’ve heard about him killing someone through his own arrogance and stupidity, he shoud resign…?”
What does political view have to do with an admitted scofflaw being convicted of manslaughter? Kennedy wasn’t convicted of squat, nor even charged if memory serves. Not to say that he probably shouldn’t have been.
“Finding joy in his misfortune…” His misfortune. I’m speechless. When did he become the victim in all this?
Yeah, I am saying Kennedy probably should have been.
I offered up no defense for Janklow in my post, merely an observation that “dancing in the streets” is a little unseemly. My observation, Chefguy, was that Randolph Scott was the victim here. I think we’d all do well to remember that.
Mr. Moto, Congress is very reluctant to expell its’ members, and the only members to have been officially expelled* since the Civil War (Ozzie Myers and Jim Trafficant) were both expelled only after felony convictions for charges realting to corruption.
Since Kennedy never was charged criminally, they were under no obligation to remove him.
the accident occured not far from here and was very much a local issue. the prevailing opinion around here is that justice was served in this case. it is almost refreshing to see that mr janklow has finally been shown that the law applies to everyone, he isn’t an exception to the rules. the part that annoys me most of all, is this man has driven the road so many times in the past. it was a very familiar route to him. sad that someone had to die.
i remember the first time i was irritated by this guy, it was when south dakota public buildings went “smoke free”. there were all these state employees standing outside in the cold january wind having a cigarette, whilst the governor sat comfy in his office chain smoking. telling isn’t it.