FLANDREAU, S.D. — William J. Janklow, the former U.S. congressman who resigned his seat after being convicted of second-degree manslaughter, was sentenced Thursday to serve 100 days in county jail.
Circuit Court Judge Rodney Steele ordered Janklow to surrender himself to the Minnehaha County Correction Center in Sioux Falls on Feb. 7. After 30 days, Janklow will be allowed to leave the jail for 10 hours a day, six days a week, to perform community service.
Saying that Janklow "is truly remorseful" and that he will suffer a "special humiliation not encountered by a private citizen," Steele issued a suspended imposition of sentence. That means that if the former lawmaker successfully completes his jail time and three-year probation, the record of the felony conviction will be sealed -- effectively removing it from his record.
"I understand. I killed somebody," Janklow, 64, told the judge in a voice so quiet it could barely be heard in the back of the crowded courtroom. "I can't be punished more than I'm punishing myself."
Steele ordered Janklow to pay the county $50 for each day of his incarceration and more than $5,400 in penalties. He also will lose his driver's license during the time he is jailed or on probation.
In early December, a jury in Janklow's hometown of Flandreau convicted the politician of recklessly speeding, running a stop sign and killing Randolph E. Scott, a 55-year-old motorcyclist from Minnesota. Hours later, the state's then-lone congressman announced he would resign.
With that, Janklow -- also a former state attorney general and governor -- signaled the end of a political career in South Dakota that had stretched over 30 years.
His attorneys have filed a motion seeking a new trial. A hearing is set for Feb. 10.
Legal experts noted that because South Dakota does not have mandatory minimum sentencing laws, Steele had wide latitude in setting Janklow's punishment.
An Associated Press review of court documents found that 40 people in the state had been found guilty of second-degree manslaughter since 1989, and that 32 of those had served some time behind bars. The average term for those sent to a county detention center was six months.
The former congressman's habit of speeding is legendary. He joked about it when he was governor in a 1999 State of the State address: "Bill Janklow speeds when he drives -- shouldn't, but he does. When he gets the ticket, he pays it; but if someone told me I was going to jail for two days for speeding, my driving habits would change."
