Power doesn’t exempt you from the law

By Velvet Jessen

On Sept. 12, 2020 the South Dakota attorney general Jason Ravnsborg was driving home from a Republican party fundraiser when he struck and killed Joseph Boever, according to a South Dakota Highway Patrol accident report. In a Dec. 16, 2020, article, the Sioux Falls South Dakota Argus Leader quoted the Attorney General who said, “I believe I have not committted any crime.”

Ravnsborg’s statement suggests he is strongly convinced he did not commit a crime. 

Although the highay patrol report does not clearly state the type, it specifically states Ravnsborg was “distracted” while driving when he struck and killed Boever. 

In cases similar to Ravnsborg’s a motorist whose
“distracted” driving resulted in a death, had indeed committed a crime.   

Case in point: In August 2020, New Jersey motorist Alexandra Mansonet rear-ended a vehicle. That vehicle in turn struck and killed a pedestrian.  Mansonet was convicted of vehicular homicide for texting while driving and sentenced to five years in prison. 

Clearly she was “distracted” while driving. 

Although her case was in New Jersey, that state held Mansonet accountable for her distraction.

According to a  Dec. 8, 2020, article in the Argus Leader, South Dakota has not yet filed charges against Ravnsborg, because investigators have not determined what distracted him. 

Depending on the state, distracted driving charges are not new and often result in a fine or, in some places, a year in jail. 

Vehicular Homicide can result in a sentence of three to fifteen years of jail time. 

I believe it would be appropriate to charge Ravnsborg with anyone of those crimes. 

But frankly, as a South Dakota resident, I believe that what really matters here is accountablility.

People in positions of power, especially those who are elected or appointed to public office, must take their roles as community leaders seriously. In my mind, Ravnsborg does not.

As someone who practices law, he should have known that distracted driving is a crime and he should have avoided the risks that lead to his distraction. 

He did not. And his risk taking cost Joseph Boever his life. 

But even more baffling than taking his responsibilities seriously is Ravnsborg’s arrogance and lack of remorse – evident in his statement that he believes he “did not commit a crime.” It suggests that he does not believe he needs to be held accountable for his actions.

That’s unacceptable.

If a child were hit and killed by someone driving  distracted, there would be a public uproar, especially if the accused killer claimed to have done no wrong And Ravnsborg, as the state’s attorney general, would lead the accused driver’s crucifixion.

Why should the outcry for  the death of an adult be any different?

It’s time to stop letting people in positions of power condemn people under them and then, when they  make the same mistakes, ignore their actions as if nothing serious happened. 

If we allow people with power to escape consequences, then there will be fewer people in power who want to do good for the public. There would be more people who wish to make laws  that benefit themselves and their cronies, without doing good for the public. 

Government leaders of any level should not be excused from the consequences of their actions simply because they have power and are in a political party their voting area supports.

If Ravnsborg is not charged with anything, it will only prove that politics and power are more important to some than morals. 

Why should he be protected from the laws that everyone else must abide by because of his power. 

If he is not charged, convicted and sentenced with the consequences of his actions, it will only create a mockery of the justice system he leads. 

Everyone is equal under the law, until people without power are the only ones who are sentenced.