Ex-Congressman Starts Serving Time

Former U.S. Rep. Bill Janklow reported to jail Saturday to start serving his 100-day sentence for a manslaughter conviction in a crash that killed a motorcyclist.

Accompanied by his son, Russ, and a longtime friend, Janklow smiled briefly, walked past a group of reporters and camera crews outside the Minnehaha County Public Safety Building, took a right turn and checked in.

The former four-term South Dakota governor was found guilty in December of second-degree manslaughter, reckless driving, speeding and running a stop sign in the collision that killed motorcyclist Randy Scott of Hardwick, Minn.

Circuit Judge Rodney Steele sentenced Janklow to 100 days in jail on Jan. 22, two days after Janklow’s resignation from South Dakota’s House seat took effect.

“It’s just another chapter in a very tragic situation for everybody,” Russ Janklow said Saturday.

Russ Janklow escorted his 64-year-old father into the building at 9 a.m. and onto an elevator that took him to the jail area. Janklow was booked, questioned and searched before changing into his jail clothes, officials said.

Marc Tobias, a friend who also accompanied Janklow, said the former Republican congressman will do some reading while in jail and will probably do some work preparing to defend himself against a wrongful death suit filed by Scott’s family.

Tobias said Janklow just wants to serve his sentence and get on with his life.

“Look, it’s unpleasant. Nobody wants to be away for 100 days, but he’s got a lot of work to do and he’ll do it,” Tobias said.

“It’s an incredible end to an incredible political career.”

After 30 days, Janklow can leave the jail during the day to do court-approved community service.

Warden Michelle Boyd said that for safety reasons, she would not divulge in which unit of the 400-bed county jail Janklow would be housed.

The jail, which opened last year, is divided into 14 units housing combinations of four, eight, 16, 24, 48 and 64 people. Earlier, Sheriff Mike Milstead said Janklow would be in one of the smaller units.

Other jail inmates watched his arrival on live television.

“I suppose they’re as interested as everybody else is in how he’ll be treated and what’s going on,” Boyd said. “But for the most part, he’s just going to be housed alongside the housing units that they’re in. He’ll be going day to day, eating the same food, going to [recreation] and reading books and watching TV and that type of deal.”