Witness Cries During Janklow Trial

[stevedeshazer]

FLANDREAU, S.D. Dec. 2 — A man who was riding motorcycles with a friend who was killed in a crash with Rep. Bill Janklow cried on the witness stand Tuesday as he described seeing his friend's lifeless body.

"I kneeled down to see if he had a pulse and he didn't," Terry Johnson said as prosecutor Bill Ellingson showed him photos of the body.

Janklow, 64, is charged with second-degree manslaughter, speeding, running a stop sign and reckless driving for his role in the Aug. 16 collision. Prosecutors say Janklow sped through the stop sign in a Cadillac and collided with a motorcycle, killing Randy Scott of Hardwick, Minn.

Janklow frowned, took notes and looked forward as Johnson recalled the crash, which occurred as the two motorcyclists traveled home from a birthday party for Scott's former father-in-law.

source: http://abcnews.go.com/wire/US/ap20031202_1356.html

_____________________________________________________________

Will this man get special treatment? No remorse, apparently. Janklow just wants to save his career. No apology, nothing.

[GainesT1958]

1. Janklow is a bloodless oaf...

And deserves being treated as such by that jury, and, ultimately, by the voters of S.D.!:mad:

B-)

[stevedeshazer]

2. It's really the lack of remorse that bothers me

His repeated admissions that he has no respect for traffic laws, that he thinks it is okay to get repeat violations as long as he pays the fines, that he is ABOVE THE LAW, are what will get him.

A jury in South Dakota will decide. If convicted, he should resign.

[burythehatchet]

3. Sorry

but none of his prior acts are admissible

[veganwitch]

4. what about his taped admission

after the accident that he speeds all the time. or would that be self-incrimination?

[pscot]

5. Not clear

The judge has apparently said that if Janklow's medical condition is introduced as a defense (Janklow is diabetic) he may let the prosecution introduce Janklow's scoff-law history.

[stevedeshazer]

14. Yeah, I know

But anyone who is paying attention will know about this in South Dakota. Wouldn't it be pretty hard to find an impartial jury given all the attention?

[Bluzmann57]

7. If convicted won't he go to jail?

If so, it'll be pretty hard to attend meetings in Washington. So he may just get fired instead of having to quit. Screw him. He's a criminal who is responsible for the death of another man. Hey! Maybe he should be made to go to Sturgis with all the bikers. They could deal with him.

[veganwitch]

8. sturgis? you from indiana??

or is there as sturgis in SD too? and if so why are both big biker magnets?

[Bluzmann57]

10. Sturgis is a HUGE biker rally in S.D.

It is a world famous rally which draws hundreds of thousands of bikers each August. I am from Iowa btw.

[htuttle]

12. If Janklow doesn't go to Sturgis

I have a feeling that Sturgis will come to him.

From what I've read, a lot of motorcyclists are very pissed off about this. They'll be twice as angry if he gets off without jail time.

[roguevalley]

16. How in hell did he still have a license with that many moving violations?

Up here, you get four points a speeding ticket and lose your
license after three tickets. How did he still have one?

[stevedeshazer]

18. Here's a reference

Janklow's driving record scrutinized after crash (August 18, 2003)

PIERRE, South Dakota (AP) -- Rep. Bill Janklow has paid more speeding tickets than many people get in a lifetime: a dozen in a four-year period in the 1990s.

The former South Dakota governor's driving record drew closer attention Monday as authorities investigated a weekend crash in which a Cadillac driven by Janklow collided with a motorcycle, killing the rider.

<snip>

Janklow's heavy accelerator foot is legendary with state employees who rode with him when he was governor and reporters who tagged along during disasters. Just last summer, two reporters were riding with Janklow when he made a 99 mph mad dash, through heavy smoke, down a mountain highway in the Black Hills during a raging forest fire.

Fleeing the area before the blaze made the most direct escape route inaccessible, Janklow tried to go faster, but the computer in his sport utility vehicle kept the engine from going past 99 mph.

State court records show that Janklow got 12 speeding tickets in 11 South Dakota counties from 1990 to 1994 and paid more than $1,000 in fines. He often drove 15 mph to 20 mph faster than legal speed limits and once got caught going 90 mph in a 65-mph zone.

source: http://www.cnn.com/2003/US/Central/08/18/janklow.accident.ap/

________________________________________________________________

The record is clear. Anyone else in South Dakota or most any other state would no longer have a license to drive.

[GRocky]

6. Janklow for President

I can't believe that scumbag is trying to blame everything on his diabetes. What I really wish the liberal media would point out is that he had his aide with him. If he were having some kind of diabetic reaction, don't you think he'd have the sense to let his un-enebriated aide drive? Nahhh.. He's innocent! He's a good, law-abiding, god-fearing man!

Republican Party State for 2004!!

[Melsky]

13. Welcome to DU!

If he was a Democrat, he would be crucified in our "liberal" media!

[bluestateguy]

9. Let's hear it for former congressman Janklow!

I think it's time for Stephanie Herseth to start looking for apartments in DC.

[Hawkeye-X]

11. 2nd degree manslaughter? Fuck that

Slap him with a first degree MURDER and throw his worthless ass into AdminMax in Florence, CO!

[dflprincess]

17. They can't

According to the Minneapolis paper 2nd degree manslaughter is the severest charge that can be made for a car accident in South Dakota where drugs or alcohol weren't involved.

[fishnfla]

15. he's gonna get a pass

they're gonna let him use his BS(blood sugar) alibi. without the priors, it will be tougher.

he'll skip this charge. that sucks