The Yankton Press & Dakotan, the newspaper in the community where Jason Ravnsborg practiced law before becoming Attorney General, said last week that Ravnsborg should resign over his conduct after killing Joseph Boever:
Based on what we know of him when Ravnsborg was a Yankton attorney, there can be little doubt that this incident has had a deep impact on him — how could it not? But his actions since the incident have seemingly focused much more on legal maneuvering and political calculus rather that a sense of public responsibility, humility and contrition.
His actions have not been those of an attorney general elected by the people, but as a defendant looking for any angle to save himself.
His actions also suggest his political ambitions are still intact.
He has shown little remorse, at least outwardly, as he strives to put all this behind him and, perhaps, to take control of the public narrative.
But it’s not so easy. Among many other things, Ravnsborg will still have to reckon with a civil lawsuit, and he may still face impeachment by the Legislature.
And people will remember.
He has already lost the trust and the faith he needs to continue as attorney general.
Thus, he should not. He should resign [editorial, “Ravnsborg Should Resign as AG,” Yankton Press & Dakotan, 2021.08.30].
The Black Hills Pioneer seconds that motion, saying the claims of Army Reservist Ravnsborg’s defense attorney that Ravnsborg is an honorable man don’t erase Ravnsborg’s demonstrations of his unfitness for office:
…honorable actions taken in the past do not give you a free pass for less than honorable actions today.
The Army values include: Loyalty, Duty, Respect, Selfless Service, Honor, Integrity, and Personal Courage.
Ravnsborg certainly did not display personal courage when he was a no-show for his trial. He owed it to the family of the man he killed to stand up and face them, take his lumps, let them vent their anger and frustration. It’s what should have happened.
He hasn’t showed his integrity, failing to sincerely apologize or take responsibility for his actions.
He hasn’t respected Boever or his family having tried to have Boever’s medical records admitted in court proceedings as an attempt to shift the blame from himself causing a tragic accident, to Boever himself in perhaps, just maybe, he flung himself in front of the car in a suicide attempt.
He has clearly failed to live up to U.S. Army values. He has failed to live up to South Dakota values.
So we join the Yankton Press & Dakotan in calling for Ravnsborg to immediately resign. Should he not, we call on the state Legislature to impeach him [editorial, “AG Ravnsborg Should Resign Now or Legislature Should Impeach,” Black Hills Pioneer, 2021.09.04].
Why wait, Jason? Why drag out your political death? Resign today, and let South Dakota get back to enforcing its laws without the distraction of your dishonor.
I like the people who work at our paper, but I feel the editor lacks courage.
He hasn’t shed light on the 5G issue, the dangers (psychological and physical through increasing bacterial load and reducing O2) of masks, the dubious PCR test, the dubious MRNA debacle.
Not really fair on many issues, despite that one of my photos once graced the paper (regarding local food, an issue near-and-dear to my heart).
Regarding Mr. R, I think the legislature has more important things to do, and those in favor of his ousting right now have some work to do in terms of burden of proof. What cases have bearing on his continued participation? How has he performed in his job in the absence of this strange incident wherein a person who had a death fantasy of getting hit by a car .. got hit by his car? Does he have dubious connections with secret societies making him a hollow vessel for the orders of a feckless satanic cabal? I mean, what is it that you don’t like about him in terms of his ability to do his job?
I’m listening ..
Let’s face it folks, if Jason ran for any office against a Democrat, he’d be elected.
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John Dale if you really believe Jason R should remain in office then you are as much an idiot as he is. Really? Is it because he’s a man, a Republican, or is it that you want to be contrary and get a reaction? If you honestly think someone like Jason belongs in such a high position for what he did, you belong in jail as much as him because you think it’s okay to kill an innocent man and get away with it. I’m assuming you like to speed and use your right hand for enjoyment while driving as well. You and your kind are what make this state suck.
“Impeach Jason” is a sign I’m willing to put in my yard. Someone please, print them up and send them out.
They learned from the best.
Long after Bill Janklow stunk up this state,
the smell lingers to this day.
It’s getting downright embarrassing to live in this state. We are starting to make national headlines nearly every week, and not for positive reasons! !@#$%^&*!
Just under a year ago, I’d asked the following on this blog:
Government investigators apparently settled on the first option. It still looks to me like Jason’s car was in the driving lane when it caught Joe in the windshield, and I think investigators may have incorrectly identified the location of the initial collision.
I’m open to having my mind changed by additional evidence, but as a registered Libertarian and three-time Libertarian Party nominee for statewide office, I’m extremely disappointed to see the executive committee of our state party calling for Jason to leave office before any additional evidence has become public.
I don’t understand why you think the readers of this site should place more credit in your bona fides as “a registered Libertarian and three-time Libertarian Party nominee for statewide office” above the accident reconstruction experts who were at the scene and do this for a living. I mean, you just said “it appears to you” and expect this to be persuasive. It’s not.
Kurt, As a long time member of th left, I really do not see this as a left-right, Democrat-Republican issue. This is the powers that be and those who question the powers that be. Now, when th political speculation starts about the ramifications of this tragedy start to gin, party, even partisan leanings kick in, but I don’t think there is a party split on how some just don’t think the facts and the story match up in this case.
South Dakota newspapers with the courage to call out Republicans in my home state are legion but Seaton Publishing does run Mike Sanborn’s column so there is that. Leaving LawCo in my rear view mirror is the best choice I’ve ever made.
My thoughts and prayers are with Mr. Ravnsborg as he ponders whether to follow Rich Benda and Scott Westerhuis on their paths.
well…I believe the investigators and their conclusions about the collision between Ravensborg’s car and Joe Boever’s body. I don’t believe any significant evidence which could be used in the AG’s defense is yet to appear. The accident reconstruction and investigator’s report is now the substantial record of what happened that night.
If Jason didn’t know that what he’d hit had been in the driving lane, why would he have exclaimed to the 911 operator that it was?
If you answer that he was lying to cover up manslaughter, you don’t trust the government’s investigators any more than I do.
Law enforcement, via Price, has made clear they believed greater charges were warranted. Your suspicion is better directed at the prosecutors.
The prosecutors have given clear public explanations of the reasons the evidence didn’t support a manslaughter charge. Craig Price seems about as humble and trustworthy as Corey Lewandowski.
I’m still wondering which fender on Ravnsborg’s instrument of death fell off? Kurt?
It is a magat issue. Magat pols defend their own thugs way beyond anything considered reasonable.
Cut the crap Kurt, you make my want to pick up the violin. Jason is not the victim here. I don’t care if he was hovering 3 feet above the ground, he hit and killed a man because he was distracted and driving recklessly. If you want to start rumors or make up conspiracy theories, why did they wait so long to test your man Jason for blood alcohol level? I think that he may have ingested something other than alcohol so that’s why his pal let him go home and sleep it off. How’s that for a shiny coin?
Jason killed a man, has no remorse for what he did, and tried to pin it on the victim. The murder was not premeditated but the cover up stunk all the way to North Dakota and beyond. Worse yet, not accepting responsibility and getting another speeding ticket after the murder shows that he does not think what he does is wrong. He won’t change unless he rehabs, which he desperately needs. Look at how many infractions he’s received. Think of all the times he got away with it or got waved on. But what the heck, he’s white, he’s a man, and he’s privileged.
Kurt: “…as a registered Libertarian and three-time Libertarian Party nominee for statewide office…” doesn’t exactly improve your creds as a commentator. Even I am smarter than to expect people to react positively to that, even though the same creds apply to me.
Move those goalposts, Kurt.
I’ve read that Joe may have vastly exceeded the recommended dosage of an anti-anxiety psychotropic, and that even the government investigators may have concluded he was on or very near the edge line. I don’t know whether those claims are true, but either way, accusing Jason of recklessness and “murder” is itself reckless.
That is a bs claim. The people pushing this nonsese refer to the doses in nanograms. A nanogram is one billionth of a gram. Look at the recommendes dosage of lorazepam. Next piece of misinformation, please.
“mike from iowa” writes:
The front and top of the right front fender.
You are entirely correct, Loren. I cringe and blush when I see Kristi Lynn displaying her stupidity on Y! Although I did chortle early yesterday morning when Axios identified her as the North Dakota state governor.
So a small part of the fender broke off. The majority of the fender was intact, in place and undamaged.
There’s no public evidence that the fender broke off at the point of the initial collision.
Kurt, there is no public evidence supporting your claims that the investigators made a mistake in identifying the point of impact.
And the larger point that the editorials discuss is that Ravnsborg has lost the confidence of law enforcement and the public through his whiny, irresponsible, self-serving behavior. He should quit, for the good of law enforcement and public confidence.
There is still no evidence a fender was put back on, which is what you said in a post yesterday that has since been removed.
Just in case anyone is taking Kurt Evans and what he “heard” at face value as part of this “just asking questions shtick,” here is a link to the University of Iowa’s laboratory handbook regarding dosing ranges for various drugs.
https://www.healthcare.uiowa.edu/path_handbook/handbook/test2237.html
Notice the dose related range for an adult as represented by nanograms/mL? It’s 50-240ng/ML. Boever was 196. Tell me, Kurt, since you are here clearly speaking in good faith.: What else have you “heard” that law enforcement believes?
Mr. Evans, my good friend Bob has totally wiped out your credibility statement. He is a more prominent statewide nominated fellow of the Libertarians, and he has talked the walk and walked the talk and damn near wore his best hat into the jails. Stop pimping your Libertarian creds, which I think you do to just rub the pepper in grudznick’s face for me not getting appointed as the Lt. Governor nomination the other year. This does irk me.
I give you one of Mr. Lansing’s oldest goats, Mr. Evans. Because you have irked me enough to get a goat. But you are not a Libertarian of my good friend Bob’s status. You are not on that list.
“mike from iowa” writes to me:
I believe I’d written that I thought the government investigators may have incorrectly placed the initial collision where the fender broke off. I’ve never said there’s evidence a fender was put back on.
“Dicta” posts:
Thanks for the link. Does that page say anything over 300 ng/mL of Lorazepam is “Toxic”? How do you know Joe had 196 ng/mL in his system?
I’ve read that they may have been unable to account for 78 pills, and that Joe may have been taking them at over ten times the prescribed rate. Again, I don’t know whether those claims are true.
Cory writes:
There’s public evidence Joe told one of his cousins that his preferred method of suicide would be to throw himself in front of a car, and there’s public evidence another cousin insisted that Joe check his blood sugar because of his mood that night, and there’s public evidence Jason exclaimed to the 911 dispatcher that whatever he’d hit had been in the roadway.
Government investigators apparently concluded Jason didn’t notice the rumble strip or see Joe before the collision. Lots of traffic accidents involve remarkable coincidences, but Jason drifting onto the shoulder exactly where Joe was walking, and not realizing it even after the fact, would be an extraordinary one.
Defense’s filing in its motion to access Boever’s medical records, a motion the court rejected.
Cousin Barnabas’s statement is not public evidence. That’s hearsay.
The other cousin’s insistence says nothing about the location of the crash, certainly nothing that contradicts the physical evidence identified by the investigators.
Jason’s exclamation to the 911 operator is dubious alibi-making from the guilty party.
You posit coincidence, but you put turtles on stilts to hold up your world. It is a far simpler and more plausible explanation to believ the plain facts: Jason was paying more attention to his gadgets and his blogs than to his primary job of driving. He drifted, went out of the lane, and hit a man in the shoulder of the road. He then tried to throw legal smoke and mirrors to avoid serious punishment for his carelessness. Why is that so hard to accept?
The fender in question never broke off, it is, except a small piece, still on the vehicle where it was installed when manufactured.
Part of the fender broke off. There’s no public evidence it broke off at the point of the initial collision.
Cory writes:
Sure it is.
It says it’s more likely to have been in the driving lane.
Would you say Jason knew his car had struck a person?
No, I’m open to the possibility of suicide. The government investigators posit coincidence against unfathomable odds.
I’m not sure what that’s supposed to mean.
Probably because I’ve seen so much evidence against it and because the supporting evidence I’ve seen thus far essentially consists of a flagrantly deceitful diagram and a “Craig Price says so.”
Kurt Evans, stop already…you’re embarrassing yourself and please do not cite that you’ve “seen so much evidence…” as the driving force behind your opinions. You, for whatever reason, have been trying to paint Ravnsborg as the victim in all of this long before any evidence was made public. My goodness…