Motorcycle Respect

As many are you aware, Former Governor Bill Janklow killed a motorcyclist while speeding through a stop sign. He received a slap on the wrist. To ensure that the current Governor understands my postion and concerns, I sent him this letter 1670 days ago. I have not yet had a response.

Janklow started serving his 100 days on Saturday, February 7, 2004. He will be released on May 17, 2004 or in -1555 days

January 28, 2004

Governor M. Michael Rounds

500 East Capitol Ave.
Pierre , SD 57501
via Fax: (605) 773-4711

Dear Governor Rounds:

I am writing to express my disappointment with the sentence Bill Janklow received. While the ultimate price has been paid by a motorist who was following the law, Janklow received a mere slap on the wrist in terms of sentencing. What he has done and the diabetic plea is such that I no longer deem him worth the respect of the term Mister.

In four years between 1990 and 1994, Janklow received twelve speeding tickets. Since that period of time, he was elected to the office of governor for the third time and has never received an additional speeding ticket. The appearance of impropriety is so large that equal enforcement of the law does not seem to exist in South Dakota .

An Associated Press review of South Dakota court records dating back to 1989, 80 percent of those convicted of second-degree manslaughter have been sent to jail or prison. Average jail time was six months, and the average prison term was almost seven years. Janklow's sentencing seems to be a far cry from these amounts, especially giving his habitual reckless driving.

Many in the motorcycling community are proposing a boycott of the state of South Dakota . I am considering that as well. I realize Judge Rodney Steele of Moody County Court in Flandreau , SD is the person who passed sentence in the case not the people of South Dakota . The item that has prevented me from deciding to not avoid South Dakota is that the people of the state are responsible for the lack of minimum sentences.

Without these guidelines in place, equal justice for all shall not be served. The range of possible options for the judge in this matter was anything from no jail time and no fines up to eleven years and two months behind bars and $11,400 in fines. The fact that the total sentences were 100 days and 30 days served concurrently makes me wonder about the fairness of the legal system in your state.

At the moment I have two vacations on motorcycle planned for the summer with stops and travel in South Dakota . I give you this opportunity to tell me why I should enter South Dakota .

Sincerely,

Bradford Benn
BMW Motorcycle Owners of America Member
American Motorcyclist Association Member