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Janklow on Trial

Aired December 02, 2003 - 14:00   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: Blame it on diabetes. That's the defense Congressman Bill Janklow is using in his manslaughter trial. Various witnesses have already taken to the stand to talk about what they saw the day Janklow's car collided with a motorcyclist.
Our national correspondent Bob Franken is monitoring those events for us.

Bob, what's the latest now on this?

BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATL. CORRESPONDENT: Well, the witnesses are prosecution witnesses, and so they're testifying they saw Janklow go speeding, speeding past them as they were driving. One witness said it felt like she was standing still as Janklow went careening toward a stop sign. He ran that stop sign -- this is not in dispute -- and smashed into a motorcycle driven by Randy Scott. Scott was killed. This was on August 16th. Janklow is now on trial. Janklow had a storied political career. He had been an attorney general. He had been an eight-year governor of South Dakota, had then become the state's one Congressman.

All of this, of course, had been accompanied by a swagger that Bill Janklow had. He had bragged repeatedly about the fact that he had disdained for so many of the laws. That's quite politically popular in states like South Dakota.

But, of course, it also led to the tragic events. He's saying his excuse, according to his lawyer was, that he's a diabetic, and he had not eaten all day that day, and as a result, been affected, that he was impaired, he was a bit confused. But the prosecutor is saying that, in fact, Janklow was simply reverting to form, was driving dangerous. recklessly, and killed Randy Scott. Randy Scott is dead. Bill Janklow's political career is now a big question mark. He also could face, Heidi, as much as 10 years in prison on a second-degree manslaughter charge.

COLLINS: And there was actually a bill that was supposed to go through a legislature in 2002 or so that said people with these types of conditions should not be allowed to get driver's licenses. How much will the defense attorneys really try to use this as an argument?

FRANKEN: Well, the defense attorneys are going to try and make the point that he was impaired, and that as a result did not act in the negligent way which would make him liable for a prison term. The prosecution is saying that that is an excuse after the fact, that he was just exhibiting the same reckless behavior that, according to them, he had bragged about before. COLLINS: Bob Franken, thanks so much for that.

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 December 2, 2003 - 14:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Blame it on diabetes. That's the defense Congressman Bill Janklow is using in his manslaughter trial. Various witnesses have already taken to the stand to talk about what they saw the day Janklow's car collided with a motorcyclist.
Our national correspondent Bob Franken is monitoring those events for us.

Bob, what's the latest now on this?

BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATL. CORRESPONDENT: Well, the witnesses are prosecution witnesses, and so they're testifying they saw Janklow go speeding, speeding past them as they were driving. One witness said it felt like she was standing still as Janklow went careening toward a stop sign. He ran that stop sign -- this is not in dispute -- and smashed into a motorcycle driven by Randy Scott. Scott was killed. This was on August 16th. Janklow is now on trial. Janklow had a storied political career. He had been an attorney general. He had been an eight-year governor of South Dakota, had then become the state's one Congressman.

All of this, of course, had been accompanied by a swagger that Bill Janklow had. He had bragged repeatedly about the fact that he had disdained for so many of the laws. That's quite politically popular in states like South Dakota.

But, of course, it also led to the tragic events. He's saying his excuse, according to his lawyer was, that he's a diabetic, and he had not eaten all day that day, and as a result, been affected, that he was impaired, he was a bit confused. But the prosecutor is saying that, in fact, Janklow was simply reverting to form, was driving dangerous. recklessly, and killed Randy Scott. Randy Scott is dead. Bill Janklow's political career is now a big question mark. He also could face, Heidi, as much as 10 years in prison on a second-degree manslaughter charge.

COLLINS: And there was actually a bill that was supposed to go through a legislature in 2002 or so that said people with these types of conditions should not be allowed to get driver's licenses. How much will the defense attorneys really try to use this as an argument?

FRANKEN: Well, the defense attorneys are going to try and make the point that he was impaired, and that as a result did not act in the negligent way which would make him liable for a prison term. The prosecution is saying that that is an excuse after the fact, that he was just exhibiting the same reckless behavior that, according to them, he had bragged about before. COLLINS: Bob Franken, thanks so much for that.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com