Former Rep. Janklow to be released from jail...100 days for manslaughter

[PfcHammer]

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/news/archive/2004/05/15/national1337EDT0537.DTL

Former Rep. Janklow to be released from jail Monday after serving 100 days for manslaughter

CARSON WALKER, Associated Press Writer
Saturday, May 15, 2004

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(05-15) 12:09 PDT SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) --

Former U.S. Rep. Bill Janklow gets out of jail Monday after serving 100 days for causing a car wreck that killed a man -- and he might not stay in South Dakota, a state where he was a political kingmaker for 30 years.

"Depending on who's calling me and discussing things with me, I'm hearing that there's some talk that he's considering" a request to leave the state, said Perry Danforth, chief court services officer.

Janklow's son, Russ, who has acted as a spokesman for his father since the accident, refused to comment.

<snip>

Janklow, a four-term Republican governor of South Dakota, was elected to the U.S. House in 2002. He resigned from Congress Jan. 20, ending a political career that began in the early 1970s when he was elected the state's attorney general.

[Eric J in MN]

1. not only his light sentence disgusting, but

not only his light sentence disgusting, but a Republican attorney general is agueing the family of the man he killed shouldn't be able to sue, since Janklow was acting "officially" when he drove past a stop sign at 70 mph without slowing down.

[RC]

3. ...acting "officially", huh?

Had his flashing lights and siren going did he?

[Eric J in MN]

6. the idea is that a Congressman shouldn't be sued for

The idea is that a Congressman shouldn't be sued for casting votes.

That is reasonable.

But Janklow is getting immunity from civil damages based on a misapplication of the principle.

We, the tax-payers, will pay all damages.

Janklow won't owe a penny from the lawsuit for his reckless driving.

[lil-petunia]

2. He really thought he'd never be convicted

From all I read, it appeared as though he had a game plan:
1) act contrite
2) manufacture a questionable medical defense
3) plead not guilty
4) stack the jury
5) pay off the judge
6) put only conservatives on the panel
7) claim that it was a set up job, BUT
8) never, ever, ever admit to breaking the law. Making a mistake, yes, not breaking the law.

he sure looked surprised that he was convicted. but 100 days for a death? where he had come close to doing it before? this isn't justice, this is a travesty. There are MJ sellers holding an ounce who get 5 years. No, not a travesty, this is insane.

[Streetdoc270]

10. Tommy Chong is in jail for selling glass... n/t

[Judi Lynn]

4. Such good news, isn't it?

By the way, whatever happened to that "white car" which distracted Janklow and caused him to kill that man?

[lakeguy]

5. Wish I was rich so I could

do whatever the hell I wanted and not pay rent for 3 months. I wonder what would happen if the biker would have killed Janklow...death sentence?

[Shopaholic]

7. If it would have been one of us. . .

our Democratic asses would still have been sitting in jail!

[H2O Man]

8. Read the book "In the Spirit of Crazy Horse"

by P. Mattiessen to find out what a creep Janklow actually is. And, of interest, he led a fight to keep this book from seeing the light of day in the USA. So much for freedom of the press when it exposes the criminal behaviors of politicians and energy companies.

[rebellious woman]

9. Send the fat assed SOB to Iraq.