By Lori EhdeThe manslaughter trial of South Dakota Congressman Bill Janklow ended Monday with four guilty verdicts — including a second-degree manslaughter conviction.Janklow, a four-term South Dakota governor and one-term representative in Congress, stood trial in Moody County District Court, Flandreau, S.D.The facts of the case were that Janklow sped through a rural Moody County intersection and collided with a Harley-Davidson motorcycle driven by Randy Scott, Hardwick, who was killed in the crash.Arguments of the case centered around whether Janklow had been reckless in his actions, or if those actions had been caused by a medical condition related to his diabetes.After five hours of deliberation Monday, jurors found Janklow guilty on all four charges: reckless driving, speeding and failure to stop at a stop sign, in addition to the felony charge of second-degree manslaughter.A key witness in the trial was Terry Johnson, Luverne, who was with Scott on the fateful afternoon of Aug. 16."I guess I’m happy with the results of the verdict. It’s hard on the Janklows and hard on the Scott family, no matter how it turned out," Johnson said."I, myself, would not have been satisfied with anything less than a guilty verdict."Randy’s mother, Marcella Scott, and other family members released the following statement in response to the verdicts:"Randy Scott was killed in a tragic accident on Aug. 16th. The state of South Dakota brought charges against a man believed to be responsible for Randy’s death. We attended the trial where witnesses, experts and the defendant testified to events surrounding the accident. Both the testimony and evidence submitted provided support for the State’s case against the defendant. We are satisfied that the correct verdict was reached. The cause of Randy’s death is no longer in dispute. The Scott family would like to express our gratitude to State’s Attorney, Bill Ellingson and Deputy Prosecutor, Roger Ellyson. We would also like to thank the members of the jury. We know their job was difficult. We will continue the difficult process of coming to terms with Randy’s death. We are strengthened by the enormous support of friends and loved ones. We appreciate the respect and privacy afforded our family during this difficult time."Janklow has resigned his position in Congress effective Jan. 20, the same day he’s scheduled to appear for sentencing.The Scott family members haven’t officially commented on what they are hoping for in a sentence, but as far as Johnson’s concerned, justice has already been served."I think the point that he’s been proven guilty is satisfaction enough for me," he said. "I’m not sure what more a jail sentence would do."For Johnson, the Scott family and others involved, the verdicts were a welcome culmination to months of investigation and long days in court."It was a long week. I had to go through Aug. 16 a couple times," Johnson said."It was hard to sit in the witness stand telling the jury what it was like that day and the explicit details leading up to where I found Randy in the bean field. … That was really hard."While he’s glad it’s over, Johnson said he was glad to have played a role in the outcome."I did everything I could to make sure justice was served for Randy," he said. "I know he would have done the same thing for me."In the flurry of national media attention on the case, Johnson said he wishes news readers and viewers could know Scott as the friend and family man that those close to him will remember him as."They keep portraying Randy Scott as this big motorcyclist, when in reality it was a very little part of his life," Johnson said. "It was something he found in only the last six months and enjoyed doing. There was much more to Randy than that."
