Government

State AG FINALLY Impeached After Deadly Traffic Accident

But don't expect much to come from this trial.

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440px-JasonHeadshotAfter initially refusing to impeach, state lawmakers finally voted to send South Dakota Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg to a trial in the state senate. But given the teeth-pulling required by the state’s governor and the handful of rational, civic-minded Republicans left in South Dakota just to secure a 36-31 vote, it’s hard to believe the state senate will muster the necessary two-thirds to remove Ravnsborg from office.

But, for now, Ravnsborg will temporarily relinquish his role.

The Ravnsborg saga began when he drove home late from a Trump fundraiser at a bar and restaurant, scrolling right-wing media sites on his phone while driving, before striking and killing a man. The state’s top law enforcement official then drove home and told cops he thought he hit a deer. The man’s glasses were inside Ravnsborg’s car, but deer these days are known for wearing spectacles.

Police felt Ravnsborg wasn’t forthcoming in the investigation. Prosecutors shrugged and charged him with a handful of misdemeanors and he paid a $1000 fine for his role in the victim’s death.

Governor Kristi Noem sided with the authorities and called for Ravnsborg’s removal, which in simpler times would have ended the matter for Ravnsborg politically, but in today’s climate only created a schism between the governor and her fellow Republicans who didn’t appreciate a loyal conservative facing criticism regardless of the circumstances.

For his part, Ravnsborg lobbied lawmakers to shield him from impeachment earlier this week:

“In a few hours, your vote will set a precedent for years to come,” Ravnsborg said in the first of two letters sent Monday night and obtained by the Argus Leader. “No state has ever impeached an elected official for a traffic accident.”

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“[F]or a traffic accident” is quite the understatement. Flouting multiple laws, leaving the scene of a death he caused, and — if the police are to be believed — stonewalling investigators are significant problems for the state’s top cop. If the superintendent of schools did all this, it would be a problem but when it’s the supposed face of the rule of law for the state, it should be career-ending.

But it probably won’t be. The Senate probably won’t get two-thirds to vote against him. Based on the House vote, they may not even get a simple majority on board. And then he’ll win his re-election bid.

Everything’s awful.

South Dakota attorney general impeached over fatal crash [Politico]

Earlier: GOP Just Can’t Quit Attorney General Who Killed A Guy As Impeachment Fails
South Dakota AG Reaches Settlement With His Victim’s Family
South Dakota’s Actual Law Enforcement Peeved With AG’s Slap On The Wrist
State AG Killed A Guy… Judge Fines Him $1,000.
State AG Who Killed A Pedestrian Suggests It Was Suicide As Opposed To His Scrolling The Internet While Driving
State Attorney General Told Officers He’d Hit A Deer… In Reality, A Man Is Now Dead
State AG Killed A Man And Told Cops He’d Hit A Deer, Will Only Face Misdemeanor Charges
Dead Man’s Glasses Found INSIDE South Dakota AG’s Car
South Dakota AG Is Going To Keep Driving Dangerously Until He Kills Someone… Again

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HeadshotJoe Patrice is a senior editor at Above the Law and co-host of Thinking Like A Lawyer. Feel free to email any tips, questions, or comments. Follow him on Twitter if you’re interested in law, politics, and a healthy dose of college sports news. Joe also serves as a Managing Director at RPN Executive Search.

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