Last week, Judge John Brown sentenced Dr. Annette Bosworth, a neophyte candidate for U.S. Senate from South Dakota, to twelve concurrent two-year prison terms … to be suspended provided she successfully completes three years of probation, pays the cost of her prosecution, and performs 500 hours of community service providing medical care to the poor.
Note: that final punishment is what she has been doing on her own for years, and is sort of why she is in this mess in the first place.
The case isn’t an innocent person being unjustly accused. I’ve met Annette Bosworth; I’m proud to call her a friend. But she wasn’t exactly innocent. She got bad advice and made a faulty decision to sign as the circulator of petitions when not every signature was affixed in her presence.
That’s a mistake. It shouldn’t be a felony.
The bigger issue? The over-the-top prosecution. Attorney General Marty Jackley’s heavy-handed, multi-felony approach sends a chilling message to anyone in South Dakota considering political participation.
More ominous is the apparent long-running personal feud between Jackley and Bosworth. In a statement after her sentencing, Jackley declared that Bosworth had “crossed the line of exasperation.”
But it is South Dakotans who should be exasperated with the AG: “Jackley had said before her sentencing,” the Capitol Journal reported, “that he might recommend prison time depending on Bosworth’s attitude after conviction.”
Meanwhile, State Rep. Steve Hickey, a chief Bosworth accuser, appears to have committed her same sin: signing a petition as circulator and not witnessing each signature. Jackley hasn’t bothered to investigate, but defensively told reporters, “I’ve never said that I won’t look into it.”
Tellingly, Mr. Hickey just resigned his seat in the legislature.
This is Common Sense. I’m Paul Jacob.
Previous commentary:
- Common Sense: No Part Justice
- Townhall: One Dangerous Doctor
- Video: Paul Jacob at the Capitol in Pierre, SD
- Citizens in Charge Foundation: Report on the Prosecution of Dr. Bosworth
- Townhall: Minor Infractions, Felony Prosecution
- Common Sense: Time to Drop the Charges
- Townhall: An Egyptian Crackdown in South Dakota
- Action: Help Dr. Bosworth
5 replies on “Bosworth Sentenced”
The Justice system is corrupt. There are few exceptions. Favors, special arrangements, lies, deceit and on and on are typical.
How do we start a recall petition for Jackley?
Unfortunately, South Dakota has a recall process only for local elected officials and not for statewide officers or state legislators. Of course, through the state’s initiative process that could be changed.
Without lifetime appointments, very few federal judges would have any chance of being elected. The vast majority of them got their appointments because they are well-connected political hacks, not because of any particular success as lawyers in the practice of law.
nobody stood up for this lady. nobody stood up to obama. people, sending emails is fine but action speaks louder than words. the left is preparing to shut down christians and round up veterans, gun owners, and soon enough, all you people writing these emails. action is being prepared by the left to do these things. will no one on the right step forward and defend the american people? the muslims are coming here for one purpose and one purpose only, to take what you have and to rape and pillage your families. what will you be willing to do to stop them? i just returned from Sweden where 1 in 4 of the most beautiful women you will ever see have been brutally raped by these same monsters obama is allowing in here. in just the 3 weeks i was there 9 churches were burned to the ground, two schools were almost bombed and three people had been attacked in the street and attempts made to cut their heads off. in that same period 146 women were brutally raped in stockholm alone. there are now no go areas here where police are no longer allowed. soon enough you too will see these things as obama has plans to import millions more before he leaves office. this will happen because all americans do is write emails. is this what you will do when a crowd of these animals come to your home and butcher your women and children? i have seen these things happen in sweden, they are happening right now. these people have no weapons to defend themselves with and all the police will do is show up, write a report, and go on their way. the women’s shelters here are overflowing and suicide is now the number one cause of death for women ages 14 – 25. there have already been girls abducted from elementary schools and gang raped, their bodies left lying on the side of the road. what will you do when thousands of these thugs arrive where you live, fully supported and protected by your own federal law enforcement. i am telling you here and now this is coming soon to cities and towns all over this country. your failure to prepare now will mean many dead and damaged beyond repair if you do not prepare for war now. please feel free to post this message in as many places as possible.