Associated Press
FLANDREAU, S.D. -- His arm in a cast and needing help getting up the courthouse steps, Rep. Bill Janklow made his first court appearance since police said he ran a stop sign in his car and collided with a motorcycle, killing the Minnesota rider.
At a hearing Tuesday that lasted less than five minutes, Janklow's attorneys requested a preliminary hearing, which was set for Sept. 25-26. The hearing will determine if there is enough evidence to bring Janklow to trial.
Janklow was charged Friday with second-degree manslaughter, reckless driving, speeding and failure to stop. If convicted, Janklow could get up to 10 years in prison and a $10,000 fine for second-degree manslaughter and a year in jail and a $1,000 fine for reckless driving.
The House ethics committee will automatically investigate if Janklow is convicted of a felony. Charges alone do not trigger a probe, although the committee can launch one in some cases.
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Circuit Court Judge Rodney Steele allowed Janklow to remain free on a personal recognizance bond.
Janklow, 63, was on his way home on Aug. 16 and was going 71 mph in a 55 mph zone when the 1995 Cadillac he was driving went through an intersection and collided with a Harley-Davidson driven by Randy Scott of Hardwick, Minn., according to authorities.
