GUILTY SD - Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg, involved in fatal car hit and run, Sioux Falls, Sept 2020 *plea *Impeached*

[nells]

Ravnsborg videos: Investigators had some surprises:

"He also said they found bone scrape on the inside of the rumble bars, also placing Boever off the roadway." (bbm)

 

[Cassady]

Authorities, Not Charge Felony? (edited title)
@JerseyGirl. sbm Thx for your post w link saying investigation did not find evd for felony charges - vehicular homicide or manslaughter.* I see the difficulty/impossibility(?) proving VehHomicide** w no LE field sobriety tests, no breathalyzer, no timely blood tests. SD's statute for VH requires drug or alcohol influenced driver.

But why not Manslaughter in Second Degree (aka InvolHomicide)? where "the act was carried out recklessly and resulted in another person's death... a reckless act where the person knew or should have known that the action would likely cause harm." ** bbm
Per link authorities
1. found Ravnsborg drove outside his lane pre-crash (but not why or how long)
2. could not determine if he knew he was outside it.

Is driving outside lane, in and of itself, a reckless act? If driver did not know he was driving outside his lane, suggests imo he was driving recklessly. my2ct
_____________________________________
* "Beadle County State's Attorney Michael Moore, who assisted with the investigation, said
investigators weren't able to determine why or how long Ravnsborg had been driving outside of his lane leading up to the crash or whether he had been aware he was outside of it...
prosecutors didn't find evidence to warrant felony charges of vehicular homicide or manslaughter..." From Widow of man killed in South Dakota AG crash plans to sue
** VH. South Dakota Legislature
*** Manslaughter in second degree = Class 4 felony, up to 10 yr prison, up to $ 20,000 fine, per South Dakota Involuntary Manslaughter Law - FindLaw.com or South Dakota Legislature

If the average person in South Dakota had been on their phone one minute prior to a fatal car crash where the driver struck a pedestrian who was walking on the shoulder of the road and the driver was violating the speed limit (even if by only 2 mile per hour) and the driver left the scene, they would likely have been charged under 22-16-20 , Manslaughter in the second degree within a couple of weeks of the accident. Whether the state could prove recklessness beyond a reasonable doubt is another story, but the person would have been charged even if the investigation took a few months to complete...IMO.

This case just highlights the two-tiered criminal justice system in the U.S. One system for average people wherein the law is strictly imposed and one for those people with money, power, influence, connections and privilege....IMO.

The sheriff who responded the night of the accident should also be under investigation....IMO!

 

[nells]

I've not heard anywhere that he was within 2 feet of body at any time. Do you have a link as surprised that detail would have even been released.

Prosecutor: AG briefly walked by crash victim who was hundreds of feet from where his car stopped

This article clarifies a few things though I'm not sure if they mean the AG walked within 200 feet of the body or if they are referring to the fact that the body was about 200 feet of the car debris:

"Cell phone data shows the South Dakota attorney general briefly walked past the accident victim, who was hundreds of feet from where the damaged car stopped, a prosecutor who evaluated the case said Monday.

Jason Ravnsborg and Hyde County Sheriff Mike Volek, who responded to the scene about 10 minutes after the crash, walked around a nearly 1,000-foot long debris field, said Michael Moore, Beadle County state’s attorney. Ravnsborg used his phone flashlight when he walked right by but did not linger at Joe Boever’s body, Moore said."

 

[worm]

Prosecutor: AG briefly walked by crash victim who was hundreds of feet from where his car stopped

This article clarifies a few things though I'm not sure if they mean the AG walked within 200 feet of the body or if they are referring to the fact that the body was about 200 feet of the car debris:

"Cell phone data shows the South Dakota attorney general briefly walked past the accident victim, who was hundreds of feet from where the damaged car stopped, a prosecutor who evaluated the case said Monday.

Jason Ravnsborg and Hyde County Sheriff Mike Volek, who responded to the scene about 10 minutes after the crash, walked around a nearly 1,000-foot long debris field, said Michael Moore, Beadle County state’s attorney. Ravnsborg used his phone flashlight when he walked right by but did not linger at Joe Boever’s body, Moore said."

I think they meant closer. The 100 ft must be from where his car stopped back to the victim. In the interview, the investigators said the victim was less than 2 ft off the hwy that the AG was walking on back towards that town. It sounded like they were saying in the interview that he walked very near the body and that flashlight.

 

[nells]

https://twitter.com/AustinGossSD/status/1305312026781253632?s=20 has video of scene from the 13th

I am re-upping this twitter link from post #3. The link leads to a video of the road in question, taken by a reporter from a car. It's interesting to compare what we now know about the accident to this video taken, I believe, the day after the body was found.

I think it illustrates what I was calling a shallow ditch.

 

[nells]

Also on this reporter's twitter feed, "the only legal post-accident interview" with the AG:
https://twitter.com/AustinGossSD/status/1365098599982522370?s=20

Never offers condolences to the family here and sounds really nervous... as he should be.

 

[nells]

Interesting...

The videos have been taken down. Went to the public safety website where the videos were located and saw this:

"Jason Ravnsborg Interview 1 (link removed due to judge's order)"

Latest news report on this: Judge rules against the release of additional evidence in Ravnsborg crash investigation | KELOLAND.com

 

[al66pine]

Order to Preclude Disclosure!

Interesting...
The videos have been taken down. Went to the public safety website where the videos were located and saw this:
"Jason Ravnsborg Interview 1 (link removed due to judge's order)"
Latest news report on this: Judge rules against the release of additional evidence in Ravnsborg crash investigation | KELOLAND.com

@Nells Thx for your post w link.

Signed by Judge Brown, the "Order Precluding Disclosure of Criminal Investigation Information:".
"... to prevent the public from having access to the information which would be hearsay at a trial of this matter." bbm
Hmmm?

I haven't read Ravnsborg's Motion requesting this order. Off to read.

 

[al66pine]

Politics?
Not trying to delve into the politics in this case and have not checked party affiliations of anyone involved, beyond what's been reported.
But I wonder if/how much backstory or personal conflict may be resurrected from the past.

 

[JerseyGirl]

Judge orders state to stop sharing Ravnsborg evidence, remove videos

 

[dixiegirl1035]

Ravnsborg videos: Investigators had some surprises:

"He also said they found bone scrape on the inside of the rumble bars, also placing Boever off the roadway." (bbm)

I noted that also. If he was hit and went directly into the shield and then bone fragments/DNA/scrape (whatever that is) was found in the rumble... how did he end up so far off the highway?

 

[angelainwi]

If you watch the interviews, Ravnsborg was reading Joe Biden conspiracy theories at John Solomon's Just The News website while driving when he slammed into a man, killing him and hitting him so hard the man's face came through the windshield. (Ravnsborg claimed he thought he hit a deer). This appears to be the article in question:

‘Riding the Dragon’ documentary alleges Biden family self-enrichment from China

WHY IS HE EVEN ON HIS PHONE READING, anything???

 

[dixiegirl1035]

If you watch the interviews, Ravnsborg was reading Joe Biden conspiracy theories at John Solomon's Just The News website while driving when he slammed into a man, killing him and hitting him so hard the man's face came through the windshield. (Ravnsborg claimed he thought he hit a deer). This appears to be the article in question:

‘Riding the Dragon’ documentary alleges Biden family self-enrichment from China

WHY IS HE EVEN ON HIS PHONE READING, anything???

RBBM

@angelainwi , do you have link/timestamp? ETA FOUND 2:13 VIDEO of it. Wow! These videos may be scrubbed soon due to judge's order.

• Outgoing call 10:24 is when 911 call was made
  
• 10:20 he unlocked phone and signed into Yahoo mail account, also then signed out
  
• at 10:20:49 he was on the Dakota (or was it Dalton???) Free Press site on work phone
• A minute later you were on the Real Clear Politics website
• and then about another minute later this article was pulled up from Just the news - an article about Joe Biden and China
  
• and then you were on that a minute leading up to the accident.
  
• He then says I remember looking at that but that is when I set my phone down prior to................ (he trails off and doesn't complete sentence)
  
• LE says, were are looking at...This was a minute to two minutes before you called 911.
  
• LE continues "So that we know that between the time of impact, there was a time period that went by before you called 911. You had to realize what was going on, had to come to a stop, get your bearings about you, get out look at the damage a little bit of what the hell's going on, you're trying to figure out where you are, call 911. So it's reasonable to say that a minute or two minutes passed from impact to when you were on the phone to 911

• This has video of it!

https://twitter.com/timothywjohnson/status/1365308804032835585

[/QUOTE]

 

[angelainwi]

I watched both of the interviews and do not recall this at all. Where has anyone seen (timestamp) that butresses such that he was reading conspiracy theories?

Is this statement by OP correct in that he was viewing such? @angelainwi , do you have link/timestamp?

In this short video

 

[dixiegirl1035]

In this short video

Dang! I was cross posting as I found such also... dang! WOW, at the first interviews they never even asked him about texting or on phone? Just calls? And this was so much later this interview.

Thank you! I did an ETA and transcribed for thread users

ETA: Am I the only person that is noticing that no one in the room is wearing a mask for COVID while sitting there talking about COVID? I wonder if that is purposefully done by LE so as to buddy up to him /build rapport and not wearing one which he is against??? I've never heard of those sites he visited... off to look at what they are.

 

[nells]

ETA: Am I the only person that is noticing that no one in the room is wearing a mask for COVID while sitting there talking about COVID? I wonder if that is purposefully done by LE so as to buddy up to him /build rapport and not wearing one which he is against???

I think they may have wanted to see his facial expressions which a mask would have hidden... just as an investigator's head right in front of the suspect does.

 

[JudgeJoe]

Checking in/ catching up. Remember back in Nov when officials said investigation would be complete before Christmas (after taking extra time & care due to Ravnsborg’s position)? Well... it’s almost March. Disgusted but not surprised... imo, moo, etc

 

[scapa]

Dang! I was cross posting as I found such also... dang! WOW, at the first interviews they never even asked him about texting or on phone? Just calls? And this was so much later this interview.

Thank you! I did an ETA and transcribed for thread users

ETA: Am I the only person that is noticing that no one in the room is wearing a mask for COVID while sitting there talking about COVID? I wonder if that is purposefully done by LE so as to buddy up to him /build rapport and not wearing one which he is against??? I've never heard of those sites he visited... off to look at what they are.

Good analysis. They certainly seem very pal-sy for what should have been a forensic interview with a possible suspect in a vehicular homicide or even involuntary manslaughter investigation.

I wonder how zealously AG JB may have investigated the case had it been a member of the public or a political rival in the frame. My guess is we'd have seen a few things done differently.

 

[worm]

Good analysis. They certainly seem very pal-sy for what should have been a forensic interview with a possible suspect in a vehicular homicide or even involuntary manslaughter investigation.

I wonder how zealously AG JB may have investigated the case had it been a member of the public or a political rival in the frame. My guess is we'd have seen a few things done differently.

Bet on it. This is a perfect example for anybody who wants to see what the “good old boy” system looks like, in real time and color.

 

[JudgeJoe]

Good analysis. They certainly seem very pal-sy for what should have been a forensic interview with a possible suspect in a vehicular homicide or even involuntary manslaughter investigation.

I wonder how zealously AG JB may have investigated the case had it been a member of the public or a political rival in the frame. My guess is we'd have seen a few things done differently.

I’m wondering if they all just assumed it wouldn’t be as bad as it is... Trying to give the benefit of the doubt. Either way the facts are horrifying. Jmo