OK, let’s return from Thanksgiving break with a little rhetorical quiz. Which of the following legal cases is likely to receive the most attention?
a) An entertainer (basketball player Kobe Bryant) is on trial for sexual assault
b) Another entertainer (weirdo Michael Jackson) has been charged with sexual assault
c) A guy no one’s ever heard of (Scott Peterson) is on trial for murdering his wife (Laci Peterson)
d) An interior designer (Martha Stewart) is facing insider-trading charges
e) A member of Congress (William Janklow) is on trial for manslaughter after he killed a motorcyclist with his car
Obviously, choices (a) and (b) will blanket the news until they’re over, while (c) and (d) will get more than their share of ink, but I can’t help but think the Janklow manslaughter trial is the one that actually deserves the attention. How often are sitting members of Congress tried for killing someone?
Since it involves neither sex nor celebrity, I’m assuming the Janklow case will be treated as an afterthought by the press, but it’s still an interesting story. Janklow is a legendary political figure in South Dakota and the state’s lone lawmaker in the House of Representatives, but his popularity, as one might imagine, as plummeted in light of recent criminal charges.
Janklow, who has an extensive record of reckless driving, killed motorcyclist (and Army veteran) Randolph Scott on Aug. 16. The police estimated that Janklow was driving 71 mph in a 55-mph zone and ran a stop sign when his Cadillac struck Scott at a rural intersection. If Janklow is convicted, he’ll not only have to resign from the House, he will also almost certainly face jail time.
The trial begins today in South Dakota.