Janklow

Argus Leader: "Janklow convictions upheld."  Excerpt:

Manslaughter and reckless driving convictions of Bill Janklow, a former congressman and the state's longest serving governor, have been upheld unanimously by the South Dakota Supreme Court.

A decision released Thursday by the high court said Janklow received a fair trial and there was enough evidence to convict him.

Janklow was found guilty of second-degree manslaughter for killing Randy Scott, 55, of Hardwick, Minn., when his motorcycle collided with a car Janklow was driving on Aug. 16, 2003, near Trent.

Authorities said Janklow sped through a stop sign at an intersection of two rural highways. Janklow has said he was in a diabetic stupor and remembers nothing about the crash.

Janklow argued in his appeal that there was insufficient evidence to prove that he recklessly killed Scott, but the Supreme Court disagreed.

"There was sufficient evidence from which the jury could conclude that Janklow was aware of, yet disregarded, the risk of an accident occurring as a result of his conduct," wrote Circuit Judge Glen Severson of Sioux Falls, one of five circuit judges appointed to consider the appeal.

All five Supreme Court justices disqualified themselves from the case because Janklow had appointed four of them while he was governor and had named a fifth justice earlier as a circuit judge.