Rep. Janklow should resign

[SeanSpoonts]

Congressman Janklow (R) South Dakota is charged with Second Degree Manslaughter after the death of Randy Scott. Janklow ran a stop sign at 71mph. If convicted of the felony Janklow faces as much as 10 years in prison and a 10,000 fine. If convicted, the result will be a Congressman sitting in prison a convicted felon until Congress removes him by impeachment or he resigns.
When the negligent conduct of a elected official results in the death of member of the public, that official can no longer be called a "public servant."
It also brings great discredit to The United States and to Congress to have a member convicted of a felony while sitting in office.
For these two reasons it's my position that Congressman Janklow should resign from the House of Representatives and face the charges against him as an ordinary citizen.

 

[bsnyder]

Well, my first thought, after reading the above post is:

What about Ted Kennedy?

That being said, I've read a little about this, and it's my personal opinion that he should resign immediately. I believe people should take personal responsibility for their behavior, and that elected officials have an even greater obligation to do this, because they set an example for the rest of us, and for our youth.

Janklow had a historical pattern of gross disregard for the speed limit while driving. That disregard for the law finally caught up with him, and an innocent person has paid the price.

 

[Eeyore1954]

Granted, Janklow does have a history of speeding tickets, however, at this time he is only accused of this crime, not yet convicted (at least in a court of law). Given the evidence, some prosecutors are saying this will be the closest thing to a slam-dunk conviction they could get, but one never knows.

My gut reaction is to say he should resign, but then I remind myself that he is not convicted yet. Like any other citizen, he should be given the benefit of the doubt until the trial is finished and a verdict delivered.

If he is found guilty, he should resign then. If he doesn't resign, Congress should move to remove him from office -- if he is convicted. Until then, he should be able to serve those who elected him, just like Ted (The Swimmer) Kennedy does.

 

[bsnyder]

I'm not saying he doesn't have legal rights, and that due process shouldn't play out in the case against him.

But his position as a Congressman makes him more than just an ordinary citizen.

Just because he has legal options doesn't make it the right thing to do to hold onto his elected office until the system plays out.

 

[SeanSpoonts]

Originally posted by Eeyore1954
Granted, Janklow does have a history of speeding tickets, however, at this time he is only accused of this crime, not yet convicted (at least in a court of law). Given the evidence, some prosecutors are saying this will be the closest thing to a slam-dunk conviction they could get, but one never knows.

My gut reaction is to say he should resign, but then I remind myself that he is not convicted yet. Like any other citizen, he should be given the benefit of the doubt until the trial is finished and a verdict delivered.

If he is found guilty, he should resign then. If he doesn't resign, Congress should move to remove him from office -- if he is convicted. Until then, he should be able to serve those who elected him, just like Ted (The Swimmer) Kennedy does.

Would you feel the same way if Janklow was a police officer? Given the clear evidence against him would that cop be right to hang onto power and position until convicted? If he did stay in his position can you imagine part of the reason might be the hope that a judge might go a little easier on a cop?
My thought is that Janklow is hanging on in the hope that a Judge will be inclined to go alittle easier on a Congressman than an ordinary citizen. I imagine that any Judge would be thinking that it's a disgrace to the country to see a Congressman convicted of a felony and might consider lessening the charge.
Your thoughts on the presumption of innocence not withstanding, can a public servant sworn to uphold the law,.. break the law, get somebody killed and still think of himself as a public servant entitled to serve?

 

[HauntedMansionGeek]

This statement alone is disturbing (from CNN.com)

"State court records show that Janklow got 12 speeding tickets in 11 South Dakota counties from 1990 to 1994 and paid more than $1,000 in fines. He often drove 15 mph to 20 mph faster than legal speed limits and once got caught going 90 mph in a 65-mph zone.

However, Janklow has not been ticketed for speeding since October 1994, just before he was elected to his third term as governor. He served as governor from 1979-1986 and 1995-2002 before being elected to the state's lone House seat last year."



Being that it says to me that what he does for a living is protecting him from getting more tickets....meaning he's been living ABOVE the laws of the state that he serves.

Yes, I think that he should resign.

 

[swanmom]

Here's a link to further info. Not only was he still speeding and using his position to 'slide' out of it, but he's been know to joke publicly about his habit of speeding. Wonder if the Scott family thinks he's funny.

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=34458