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South Dakota Congressman Charged With Manslaughter
Aired August 29, 2003 - 12:59 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: A U.S. congressman and former governor is charged in a deadly crash. Representative Bill Janklow of South Dakota is charged with second degree manslaughter, a felony. The charge follows criticism that Janklow was given preferential treatment.
CNN Congressional producer Ted Barrett joining us now on the phone from Washington with more on this. Ted, can you tell us the latest?
TED BARRETT, CNN CONGRESSIONAL PRODUCER: Yes, Heidi. The freshman Republican Congressman charged today in Moody County, South Dakota with second degree manslaughter for speeding his 1995 Cadillac through a stop sign and killing a motorcyclist in the late afternoon August 16.
Now, Janklow, a Republican and former four-term governor of South Dakota was driving home at the time. His victim, a 55-year-old Minnesota man, was driving home from a birthday party.
In the past, Janklow, in a perverse way, has bragged about his habit of speeding. He's been charged as many as a dozen times for the offense. He even had police-type lights installed in his car.
Now this time, he could go to jail for ten years if convicted on the second degree manslaughter charge, which is a felony. Moody County State's Attorney Bill Ellingson also charged Janklow with three misdemeanors, failure to stop, going 75 miles an hour in a 55 mile an hour zone and reckless driving.
COLLINS: And, Ted, we do want make sure that we have been trying to contact the office of Bill Janklow. There is no comment from his office at this time. I just want to make sure we go ahead and put that out there.
Tell us a little bit of you can -- I know you have followed politics for years and years. Tell us what this could mean as far as political repercussions.
BARRETT: I will also -- just on that first point, I am told by his office, they are putting together a statement and we should hear something very soon on that.
Now Janklow was considered a very powerful man in South Dakota and someone who was a potential Senate candidate. He served four terms as governor and was the attorney general there. He is a freshman member of Congress. And he was due to return to Washington next week when Congress reconvenes after their August break.
That is not expected to happen now. His family has said that he is recovering slowly from his injuries. Once he gets back, he could face an ethics probe and his colleagues here could punish him in any number of ways, including expulsion. But if he is convicted of a felony, then he will no longer be able to serve.
COLLINS: On that note, let's talk for a moment, if we could, about how he is seen in the House of Republicans (sic). Is Janklow the type of person who is as someone who gets things done, or not so much?
BARRETT: I think that he is. He's considered a straight talker, a blunt person and a man of action. I don't know of anyone who doesn't consider him to be just that.
Again, effective in being re-elected again and again to many offices from South Dakota.
COLLINS: All right, CNN Congressional producer Ted Barrett on the phone for us this afternoon from Washington. Ted, thank you so much for your insight on all that. We appreciate it.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired August 29, 2003 - 12:59 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: A U.S. congressman and former governor is charged in a deadly crash. Representative Bill Janklow of South Dakota is charged with second degree manslaughter, a felony. The charge follows criticism that Janklow was given preferential treatment.
CNN Congressional producer Ted Barrett joining us now on the phone from Washington with more on this. Ted, can you tell us the latest?
TED BARRETT, CNN CONGRESSIONAL PRODUCER: Yes, Heidi. The freshman Republican Congressman charged today in Moody County, South Dakota with second degree manslaughter for speeding his 1995 Cadillac through a stop sign and killing a motorcyclist in the late afternoon August 16.
Now, Janklow, a Republican and former four-term governor of South Dakota was driving home at the time. His victim, a 55-year-old Minnesota man, was driving home from a birthday party.
In the past, Janklow, in a perverse way, has bragged about his habit of speeding. He's been charged as many as a dozen times for the offense. He even had police-type lights installed in his car.
Now this time, he could go to jail for ten years if convicted on the second degree manslaughter charge, which is a felony. Moody County State's Attorney Bill Ellingson also charged Janklow with three misdemeanors, failure to stop, going 75 miles an hour in a 55 mile an hour zone and reckless driving.
COLLINS: And, Ted, we do want make sure that we have been trying to contact the office of Bill Janklow. There is no comment from his office at this time. I just want to make sure we go ahead and put that out there.
Tell us a little bit of you can -- I know you have followed politics for years and years. Tell us what this could mean as far as political repercussions.
BARRETT: I will also -- just on that first point, I am told by his office, they are putting together a statement and we should hear something very soon on that.
Now Janklow was considered a very powerful man in South Dakota and someone who was a potential Senate candidate. He served four terms as governor and was the attorney general there. He is a freshman member of Congress. And he was due to return to Washington next week when Congress reconvenes after their August break.
That is not expected to happen now. His family has said that he is recovering slowly from his injuries. Once he gets back, he could face an ethics probe and his colleagues here could punish him in any number of ways, including expulsion. But if he is convicted of a felony, then he will no longer be able to serve.
COLLINS: On that note, let's talk for a moment, if we could, about how he is seen in the House of Republicans (sic). Is Janklow the type of person who is as someone who gets things done, or not so much?
BARRETT: I think that he is. He's considered a straight talker, a blunt person and a man of action. I don't know of anyone who doesn't consider him to be just that.
Again, effective in being re-elected again and again to many offices from South Dakota.
COLLINS: All right, CNN Congressional producer Ted Barrett on the phone for us this afternoon from Washington. Ted, thank you so much for your insight on all that. We appreciate it.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
