SD Attorney General Charged With Misdemeanors Over Fatal Collision With Pedestrian

South Dakota Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg will not face felony charges after he fatally struck a pedestrian while driving on a highway in September, prosecutors announced on Thursday.


This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://talkingpointsmemo.com/?p=1360923
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Probably gave him a handy and a blowy while they were at it. Fuck the system!

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Exactly what would have happened to you or I in the same situation.

The proverbial slap on the wrist.

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Blood toxicology tests, which were taken more than 12 hours after the collision, showed Ravnsborg did not have drugs or alcohol in his system.

Pretty key in determining what happened.

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Using a phone while driving is also quite impairing, especially when going 20 over the limit as is SOP in rural SD.

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Now ANY Republican can kill someone in the middle of the street and not face real consequences?

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he needed time to process the trauma

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Does that prove that he had no drugs or alcohol in his system 12 hours later, or at the time of the accident? Seems like that is a classic dodge in potential DUI cases; stall the bloodwork as long as you (or your lawyer) can to help your case.

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A crucial piece of context would help a lot here: how many pedestrians are killed on SD roads each year, and what are the range of charges filled?

That would help evaluate whether SD law is just excessively lenient, or whether the AG’s position got him favorable treatment

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Beadle County State’s Attorney Michael Moore, who helped with the case, said the Boever family was told of the decision beforehand.

“I don’t feel good about it, but it’s the right decision,” Moore said.

He added: “Obviously when a person dies, we want to know what happened. But we’re limited by the investigation and by the facts. And we can’t compel someone to tell us. I mean, there’s just nowhere else to go.”

Spoken by no prosecutor anywhere who wanted to get to the bottom of a crime.

Each charge is punishable by up to 30 days in jail and up to a $500 fine, Sovell said.

These are slaps on the wrist and I’m sure the SD AG is currently working on a plea deal to get the “jail time” served with home detention due to COVID.

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Not at all. This victim was 10 feet off the side of the shoulder, on the grass.

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and time to think about whether “losing” his phone would improve his situation. (it wouldn’t, the usage records are online)

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Last time I was in a fenderbender, I was warned that failure to report in a timely fashion could get me fined or jailed.

Now watch him insist on a trial where a defense lawyer can claim that since the only witness available is unreliable, he must be acquitted.

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12 hours later. Though the test for weed will return a positive even two weeks after use, something to keep in mind when you hear a DA blatting about a person’s impairment from marijuana.

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They could interview the folks who were at the party he left less than 2 hours prior, and interview the folks working the event. And look for video footage from fixed cameras and party-goers. Maybe they’re waiting for the civil suit to do their job for them.

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Seems to me that not paying that asshole for 90 days might be something…just something more than what he’s going to face.
I wonder if Boever’s family is going to sue him for wrongful death?

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Had he been driving in any other state, or had been driving a commercial vehicle, he would’ve been charged with felony hit-and-run. Just sayin’.

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Yes and that appears likely to be the only justice they get:

Nick Nemec, Boever’s cousin, said Thursday he was “disappointed, but not surprised” at the prosecutor’s decision. He called South Dakota law “weak” when it comes to manslaughter. He said he expected family members to bring civil action against Ravnsborg.

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I believe he was walking on the shoulder and was found 10 feet off the side of the shoulder, on the grass.

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When I did driver ed, I learned that any accident resulting in personal injury or > $X in damage requires notification of the police. Generally the insurance company wants a police report, or they won’t pay a claim. The police can’t really do a report of you wait a day to tell them about it.

This stinks to high heaven.

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