Dr. Annette Bosworth was convicted last week on twelve felony counts. She now faces as many as 24 years in prison, $48,000 in fines … and the likely loss of her medical license.
Her crime? She circulated six nominating petitions to get on the South Dakota ballot in 2014. Thirty-seven people signed — at her medical office and at a Hutterite colony (where she sees patients) — while she was on a medical mission to help typhoon victims in the Philippines.
Dr. Bosworth’s sister was one.
But the affidavit on the petition reads that the circulator must actually witness each person’s signature being affixed. Bosworth should not have signed it.
Hence six counts of perjury and six more, one for each false document filed.
In court, Bosworth testified that her attorney — who legally notarized the petitions — told her she met the legal definition of a circulator.
Last month, I traveled to South Dakota to release a Citizens in Charge Foundation report on this prosecution. One key finding? While the threatened penalty is the most severe any American has ever faced in a petition-related case, Dr. Bosworth submitted signatures of people she knew and who very much did support her. No forgery, no fraud … against the voters.
In response, the state’s largest newspaper reported that, “[Attorney General Marty] Jackley said that it’s ‘well understood in state law’ that the offenses Bosworth faces are punishable by probation and not jail time.” Then after her conviction, Jackley suggested a presumption for “either no or limited actual jail time,” adding, “but that presumption can be overcome by a defendant’s conduct.”
Annette Bosworth should be held accountable. But aiming to ruin her life isn’t any part of justice.
This is Common Sense. I’m Paul Jacob.
12 replies on “No Part Justice”
right “They gotta keep ya in line.” with unreasonable punishments and unjust prosecutions.….…. police state stuff happening here in Kansas, too, I think.….description in the Jacobs article is more friendly to the doctor..read before and seemed slanted to a careless entitled person justly being held responsible.…..
South Dalota REPUBLIKOOKS.
Although many petitioners never met her, had their signatures put on the petitions unknowingly, and didn’t agree with her politics as was testified to by the several leaders of the Hutterite Colonites.
Her own conduct and inability to take responsibility for her actions will turn a sentence of probation (and the possibility of saving her licence) to something more serious. She isn’t a martyr and she isn’t a voice of South Dakotans (as exemplified by her dismal showing). She is however an egomanic and self-absorbed.
You don’t raise money from out of state and call yourself a republican in SD, that’s what dems do.
Tell the whole story…THAT’S Common Sense.
Thank you for your work on this case. This “prosecution” does not in any way resemble justice!!
Tyranny — and by its every other name.
And — remind me again — how many years incarceration did the recidivist, serially-treasonous, lying, looting, thieving, co-perjurious, co-perjury-suborning, co-serial-raping Billah-Goat Blythe Cli’tons ever serve?
And you voted for George Bush, you stupid mother fucker.
Seriously 24 years? Really .…This vendetta has to stop. Democrats have used tactics like this, and much worse, for years with impunity. Prosecute her lawyer for improper advise or simply admonish her and throw the petitions out.
This is a travesty when a States Attorney uses his power to ruin a Woman that meant to wrong doing. If the people would have known they would not have signed, if the lawyer would have known he should have told Dr. Annette not to turn them in. Maybe the lawyer should be charged.
Such a travesty & miscarriage of “justice.” In a country where child molesters get wrist slaps; or as Mr Allen notes, Clintons go free, this is unconscionable.
Jackley is a jackass.
The circulator must witness the signatures? Couldn’t she have authorized her sister to circulate the petition? (How do presidential campaigns gather signatures on the scale needed?) The woman
‘s attorney sounds like he (or she) is guilty of malfeasance.
It is horrific that Jackley threatens her to not speak up or he prosecutes her again. How does that follow the law? What happened to freedom of speech.
She must be a real threat to an incumbent.
Can’t think of a higher recommendation.