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Tbolt834
| | Posted on Friday, January 23, 2004 - 12:30 pm: | 
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Another fine graduate of the Ted Kennedy School of Driving . . . . |
Bomber
| | Posted on Friday, January 23, 2004 - 12:38 pm: |
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"Cronyism transcends all political boundaries."
amen, sir, amen |
Dullorb
| | Posted on Friday, January 23, 2004 - 12:46 pm: |
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Found this in the news of the wierd archives.
http://www.newsoftheweird.com/archive/nw031019.html
Compelling Explanations
In an August story about the driving record of U.S. Rep. Bill Janklow of South Dakota (who had just killed a motorcyclist in a collision), the Sioux Falls Argus Leader reported that Janklow's defense (that he had to swerve to avoid another vehicle) was the same one he had used for each of three previous collisions (one swerve was for an animal, not a vehicle), and that in none of the four instances was there any corroborating evidence of the other vehicle or animal. [Sioux Falls Argus Leader, 8-21-03]
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M1combat
| | Posted on Friday, January 23, 2004 - 01:03 pm: |
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So how much did they pay Scott's friend to testify? What was on his record that was removed? I don't mean to just blindly judge a man, but it seems likely.
Does anyone have a link to evidence used in the case? |
Ara
| | Posted on Friday, January 23, 2004 - 02:45 pm: |
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This man is a danger to society, a fact validated by the guilty verdict and his driving record. The problem is the sentence. The courts exist to protect society from dangerous individuals, but this sentence clearly does not do that. Folks, fire up your word processing programs and write to everyone you can think of in South Dakota who might have a bearing on this case. I'd start with the District Attorney who prosecuted the case. |
Mavinwy
| | Posted on Friday, January 23, 2004 - 03:46 pm: |
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With the number of cyclists who ride to SD each year (read Sturgis) you would think that the court would not make such a sweeping statement that "bikers don't matter".
I have already heard from several biker friends who have decided not to support the economy of a State that acts this way. A couple have cancelled vacation plans to SD and Sturgis.
One or two may not make a difference, but I forsee more people who will write the powers that be in SD and express their displeasure (and choose not to support the $$$$)
Jim |
Ara
| | Posted on Friday, January 23, 2004 - 04:25 pm: |
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Those who would like to write to South Dakota Attorney General Larry Long may send e-mails to atghelp@state.sd.us or may write letters to him at the following address:
500 East Capitol Avenue
Pierre, SD 57501-5070 |
Blake
| | Posted on Friday, January 23, 2004 - 07:49 pm: |
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Thanks Ara. I just fired off a brief memo expressing my feelings on Janklow's sentence.
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Bykergeek
| | Posted on Friday, January 23, 2004 - 07:54 pm: |
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They should have sentenced him to a walk thru downtown Sturgis in a pink ballerina outfit next August. He has shown a complete lack of honor and utter disrespect for the life of the biker he to carelessly took. What a complete asshole.
edited by bykergeek on January 23, 2004 |
Dullorb
| | Posted on Friday, January 23, 2004 - 08:45 pm: |
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Seems he has a history of people not liking him...
http://www.racismagainstindians.org/Janklow/JankowIdx.htm
http://www.dlncoalition.org/dln_issues/janklowphilbrick1.htm
edited by dullorb on January 23, 2004 |
Swampy
| | Posted on Saturday, January 24, 2004 - 10:57 am: |
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Well we have a Sturgis Michigan? but we have helmet laws here. |
1313
| | Posted on Saturday, January 24, 2004 - 02:22 pm: |
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My thoughts on the Janklow sentencing?
BULL5#1T!!! |
Court
| | Posted on Saturday, January 24, 2004 - 02:39 pm: |
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January 24, 2004
Attorney General Larry Long
500 East Capitol Avenue
Pierre, SD 57501-5070
Dear Attorney General Long:
The beautiful state of State of South Dakota has shamed itself by demonstrating such utter disregard of justice in the sentencing of Representative Bill Janklow.
I consider myself quite honored to count among my close friends the Attorneys General of two of your neighbor states. South Dakota has done much to assure the state becomes the laughing stock of a host of your contemporaries as well as everyone I can carry the message to in New York City.
I moved from the Midwest to New York City and look to your kangaroo court justice as doing little to diminish my ongoing “no, it really is part of America” soliloquy.
I’ve spent my last dollar in South Dakota and plan to enact a corporate travel prohibition.
Courtney L. Canfield
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Buckinfubba
| | Posted on Saturday, January 24, 2004 - 04:30 pm: |
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You must actually be kidding. He took a mans life. maybe not intentional but just the same he did. His record shows total disrespect for the laws of the road and most obviously man kind in general.
This is just immoral and smacks of favoritism . How can the justice system of South Dakota , and I use that term very lightly, even sleep at night.
they've got mail |
Darthane
| | Posted on Sunday, January 25, 2004 - 05:09 am: |
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January 25th, 2004
Attorney General Larry Long
500 East Capitol Avenue
Pierre, SD 57501-5070
I write this to express my disgust regarding the recent sentencing of Representative William Janklow for vehicular manslaughter. It is my opinion that this sentencing smacks of favoritism and I submit that were the person behind the wheel not a figure of public office that the sentencing would have been much more harsh. I find that every time I read the paper or watch the news I am bombarded with yet more tales of the failure of our legal system. Not that good does not come from it, but misdeeds are remembered more clearly and much longer.
I am a motorcyclist myself, and in the few short years that I have driven on two wheels I have had many close calls. However, I have luckily experienced nothing even remotely resembling the gross disregard that Mr. Janklow showed his fellow motorists by his actions on August 16th of last year. The traffic violations alone should have earned him thirty days in jail. He took a human life, someone with loved ones who will never hear his voice again, and is fined a little over $10,000 and given thirty days in jail? This is all a human life is worth in South Dakota?
The following is a quote from a CNN.com story regarding Rep. Janklow:
(http://www.cnn.com/2004/LAW/01/22/janklow.sentencing.ap/index.html)
"Bill Janklow speeds when he drives -- shouldn't, but he does," Janklow said in a 1999 speech to the Legislature. "When he gets the ticket he pays it, but if someone told me I was going to jail for two days for speeding, my driving habits would change."
So he knew that what he was doing was wrong, yet was not interested in stopping his illegal behavior unless it inconvenienced him. He got his wish, unfortunately for Mr. Randy Scott. However, I think it is ridiculous to assume that someone who could make the above statement will actually change his ways. Actions speak far, far louder than words, Mr. Janklow.
And another...
(http://www.cnn.com/2004/US/Central/01/20/janklow.legacy.ap/index.html)
On the campaign trail, he was visiting a school when a student cursed at a teacher. The teacher ignored it, but Janklow said he would have done things differently. He told an audience in 1995: "I said, `The least you could have done was swung around real quickly, like you were in fear, and hit his head into the locker and then apologize ... as you took the blood off his forehead, that he'd startled you when he shouted like that."'
Does this sound like a person with any regard for anyone but himself?
I have visited South Dakota on a few occasions. I can assure you that I will now go out of my way to avoid it, even if I am safely ensconced in my pickup truck, knowing that my family can not even hope for justice to be done should I be killed by a negligent driver. Furthermore, I will energetically encourage others to circumvent the state as well.
Sincerely,
Bryan M. Cochren
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Wonder if we'll get any response... |
Ara
| | Posted on Sunday, January 25, 2004 - 12:40 pm: |
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Blake, Court, and Bryan -
Good letters! I don't know why a letter to the Governor would hurt. The proper means of address, mail address, and e-mail address is as follows:
The Honorable Governor of South Dakota M. Michael Rounds
500 East Capitol Avenue
Pierre, SD 57501
governor@state.sd.us
If we can mobilize BadWeb, Sacborg, riding buddies, friends, relatives, etc. to write letters to the Governor and Attorney General of South Dakota, we might be able get them to inspire the prosecuting District Attorney to ask for a formal review of the sentence. Blake, as moderator I'd like to suggest that you put a message on the board and also post one to Sacborg encouraging members to write letters and include the addresses of the Governor and Attorney General.
Russ |
Ara
| | Posted on Sunday, January 25, 2004 - 01:48 pm: |
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For some reason the e-mail address for the Governor of SD given above does not work. No matter, letters written on paper are still the best way to get a public official's attention. Here's mine:
Honorable Governor Rounds,
I find the obscenely light sentence received by former Representative Bill Janklow to be an unconscionable miscarriage of justice. Mr. Janklow is a menace to society as proven by his conviction, driving record, and the public statements that he has made in the past. This is the very kind of person that the courts are supposed to protect us from, but Mr. Janklow's sentence does not accomplish that. Quite the contrary, it puts the man back in circulation in just 30 days and thereby sets a dangerous and alarming legal precedent.
Sir, this cannot be allowed to stand and I urge you to do everything in your power and marshal whatever resources are necessary to revise Mr. Janklow's sentence to make it commensurate with his crime. To do so is to reassure visitors to South Dakota that yours is a state where justice prevails. To fail to do so is to warn them to stay away.
Very sincerely,
A. Russell Asson
Federally employed civilian and motorcyclist |
Nevco1
| | Posted on Sunday, January 25, 2004 - 10:11 pm: |
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Letters are cool, but if you really want their attention...
Boycott Sturgis!!!
And get all your Harley Pal's to spread it around and do the same!!!
Nothing gets the point across better than a good old pain in the wallet!!!
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Signguy
| | Posted on Sunday, January 25, 2004 - 11:44 pm: |
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Did a quick check of boycottsturgis.com (thought I'd register it) but the AMA beat me to it. 
a WHOIS search yielded this:
American Motorcyclist Assn. 13515 Yarmouth Drive Pickerington, Ohio 43147 United States Registered through: GoDaddy.com Domain Name: BOYCOTTSTURGIS.COM Created on: 23-Jan-04 Expires on: 23-Jan-05 Last Updated on: 23-Jan-04 |
Krassh
| | Posted on Monday, January 26, 2004 - 12:53 am: |
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Reminds me of Tennessee State Sen. Carl Koella when the senator murdered motorcyclist Terry Barnard while under the influence in an accident back in October 1996. Here is an exerpt from Greg Harrison's column from American Motorcyclist the AMA magazine:
http://www.ama-cycle.org/magazine/story2ju.html
Instead, facing felony charges of leaving an accident victim literally dying in the road, Sen. Koella took an all-too-familiar alternative in the U. S. of A.
He copped a plea.
Koella's attorney, Jerry Cunningham, made a deal with prosecutor Gus Radford. In exchange for avoiding trial on the felony charge, the senator would plead no contest to the lesser misdemeanor charge of leaving the scene of a fatal accident.
As a result, there was no trial, no case of the state of Tennessee versus Sen. Carl Koella. The deal went down as planned, and in a sentencing hearing, Koella was fined $2,500 and ordered to perform 30 days of community service. His drivers license also was suspended for one year.
Cunningham told the Knoxville News-Sentinel that Koella probably has no intention of driving again, even after the suspension ends.
In passing the sentence, the Knoxville News-Sentinel reported, Judge Steve Bevil said he treated Koella no differently than anyone else. But the judge cited Koella's achievements in community and civic endeavors as reasons for not sentencing him to spend time in jail.
Ironically, Carl Koella himself died in January 1998 following emergency heart surgery. I guess justice was finally served.Well to add insult to injury the state decides to name a highway after the senator in 1999. The same highway that Terry was killed on. The AMA put up billboards advertising the injustice and I do not think the memorial signs ever went up.
http://www.ama-cycle.org/magazine/1999/story1je.html
http://www.ama-cycle.org/magazine/1999/story2jy.html
It seems if you are a goverment offical you can kill motorcyclist at will and get a slap on the wrist.
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Dullorb
| | Posted on Monday, January 26, 2004 - 01:59 am: |
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Yeah, I already avoid TN, after they did a felony stop an a law abiding family because another motorist called the state patrol and said he thought the car had just robbed a bank* and wound up killing the family dog. *The father had forgotten his wallet on the car roof and bills were falling out
I don't need that kind of protection. |
Iamike
| | Posted on Monday, January 26, 2004 - 02:15 pm: |
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Just another take on this issue:
I realize that the AMA has taken a position on when cyclists are killed by errant motorists here are two recent cases from Iowa.
1- Last summer a delivery driver falls asleep on US30. He veers into the oncoming lane hitting a group of six cyclists, killing three.
Last week at his trial he was found not guilty of vehicular manslaughter, so he goes free. The surving family members are going to file a civil suit against the delivery company.
2- A couple of years ago an 18 year old Eagle Scout is sitting at an intersection with a 4 lane road. He wants to cut across all four lanes of traffic. A straight truck is making a right hand turn into the road that he is on. The driver pulls out to cross when a cyclist that is coming up on the left side of the truck broad sides him and is killed.
I am pretty sure that he was just convicted of 'failure to give the right of way'.
In both of these cases the previous history of the drivers wasn't allowed in court. As in Janklow's, wouldn't that be part of the evidence used to determine whether these guys were negligent or just making a serious mistake?
I feel the history of a driver is extremely important in deciding what to do. Look how often we drive when we are tired. Or pull out not thinking that someone may be out of view.
We quite often make bad judgement errors on a daily basis and don't get in accidents because the other people are watching out for us (which is a real good habit as a cyclist). But if we keep getting caught, like Janklow, that shows gross disregard.
Not to diminish Janklow's guilt, but that is one thing around here that we have to watch all the time on rural roads. For some reason a lot of people in the country don't think that they need to stop at stop signs. |
Nevco1
| | Posted on Monday, January 26, 2004 - 02:23 pm: |
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Mike...Very good point. Especially your last paragraph. Is all to common in rural areas. Heck, we even have "left on red" here. Not legally, but it sure is a common practice in certain parts of town. |
Awprior
| | Posted on Monday, January 26, 2004 - 04:21 pm: |
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Being in Iowa, even if only part time, I will agree with Mike on the rural road issue. Anywhere my travels take me, be it work here in Iowa, school in Michigan, or my few trips home to PA, I am amazed by the number of people that don't stop at stop signs, use the center turn lane as the speed up lane after making a left turn onto a main road and a host of other things.
Granted, they aren't really breaking the law that bad, but it's that one stupid time that something is going to happen. To me, getting a license here is way too easy, and people are way too lazy with traffic laws.
Mike, the kid that got off was an Eagle Scout? I'd think he'd know better.
Alex |
M2me
| | Posted on Monday, January 26, 2004 - 05:09 pm: |
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I saw this on the Mpls. StarTribune's site this morning. Not a lot of detail about what groups are planning to boycott but it could get interesting.
quote:Motorcyclists plan protest at Sturgis over Janklow sentence
Associated Press
Published January 26, 2004
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. -- Some motorcycle groups plan to boycott the Sturgis motorcycle rally in response to what they consider lenient punishment given Bill Janklow.
The former South Dakota governor and congressman was sentenced Thursday to 100 days in jail for the August traffic death of motorcyclist Randy Scott of Hardwick, Minn.
Janklow must also pay $5,700 in fines, $5,000 in jail costs and be on probation and not drive for three years.
Some cyclists have petitioned organizations to back a rally freeze-out.
Internet message boards challenge Judge Rodney Steele's position on the bench.
Others question why a state that collects more than $1 million a year in rally-related sales tax doesn't protect riders with a stronger message to motorists.
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Xbduck
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 27, 2004 - 05:40 am: |
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Maybe Judge Rodney Steele has a low value for "them bad bikers" and its his way of keeping us out of his state. He wouldn't be the first judge to use his position to advance his beliefs on the public.
Well, I probably shouldn't have said it that way but it's just a thought I had rattling around upstairs.
Duck |
Chainsaw
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 27, 2004 - 09:18 am: |
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BOYCOTT STURGIS!
I'm all for it. I'll start drafting some letters this week to send to the major event participants. If we could get HD, Buell, Honda etc. to commit to not display at the rally this year, that would send a message to the SD legislature that this is serious. Pass a right of way law or see the rally move to Montana or somewhere. I'll send something to a pair of local DJ's that ride. Free media would do wonders for the cause. |
Cj_xb
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 27, 2004 - 09:48 am: |
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Excellent examples of letters written guys, and I'll be writing one myself.
I agree that boycotting Sturgis would work the best, but the numbers boycotting would have to be significant or nothing will be accomplished !!
CJ |
Doncasto
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 27, 2004 - 10:23 am: |
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Since my "lifestyle" quotient has never quite come up to the Sturgis standard - boycotting an event I have never had any remote desire to attend has a pretty hollow ring to it. However, I do believe that in Janklow’s case MANY unjust and corrupt forces in South Dakota were brought to bear in allowing this jerk to drive at all. Ultimately they ended up costing a fellow motorcyclist his life. I am angered, appalled and disgusted - feelings based in the certain knowledge that it could have been any one of us that he hit - EVEN ME *shudder*
The same forces that allowed him to continue to place every man, woman, child and animal's life in jeopardy whenever he was behind the wheel also played a pivotal role court case and sentencing.
So, for myself, I will be adopting a different and more personally relevant campaign - BOYCOTT MOUNT RUSHMORE!
Just trying to do his part . . . . .
Don Casto
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Iamike
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 27, 2004 - 10:54 am: |
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Remember how it used to be that drunk drivers used to continually get off with just a slap on the wrist? It took a lot of people and especially the group MADD to raise enough of a stink to change the punishment.
When I was the Safety Coordinator for the Des Moines Cycle Club (bicycle) I use to call the Highway Patrol every time there was a fatal bicycle accident. I would inquire about the 'accident' to use the details in my monthly collumn. I was always surprised by the attitude of some of the investigating officers about why the bicyclists were even on the road. I'm sure there is a lot of that attitude about motorcyclists too.
The only way we can get respect is to support the AMA position and raise a stink when someone who is grossly negligent only gets a hand slap. |
Mikej
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 27, 2004 - 12:18 pm: |
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The biggest thing politicians want is publicity during an election campaign.
The biggest thing politicians don't want is negative publicity during their tenure.
Judges in many cases are elected to their bench, thereby making them politicians.
Speak out now, but act again once the bench comes up for reassignment.
Janklow's seat is already empty.
The prosecuting attorney who accepted a plea (public or not, regarding what charges to pursue) is currently filled.
The judge's seat is currently filled.
Let them know now how you feel.
Remind them again when their names are cast into a hat for future elections.
Jankow is just one cog in the gearworks of the system. To fix the system you have to adjust all the creaky joints.
Sturgis is huge, but is limited in net effect, and a lot of the locals there would just as soon see it go away, and a lot of the regular attendees already take their business to neighboring areas away from the core hub of the event.
I'm planning a drive west this year. Was thinking of driving I-90. I-80 or I-94 will get me there just as well. And if I decide to go see Mt.Rushmoor or The Chief I can just as well stay in Wyoming instead of S.D., or as a local there calls it S.fD. |
Nevco1
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 27, 2004 - 02:31 pm: |
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Mike...Great Idea!!!
Let's make T-Shirts with a pic of Janklow behind bars and perhaps a wild west gallows in the background.
He gets all the press he wants and we can both get new lives by the time Sturgis comes around this year!!!
Please make the snow go away! |
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