Edition 2-20-04

02/16/2004
Janklow's Justice: 2,000 Commutations
Their crimes were so heinous and unspeakable that police, prosecutors and victims' families did all they could to get the offenders off the streets and behind bars.

Before he left office, then Governor Bill Janklow shortened nearly two thousand prison sentences. The most in the country between 1995-2002.

While a vast majority of the commutations are for minor offenses, a KELOLAND NEWS investigation found, some of the inmates who had their sentences cut short were at one time considered some of state's most hardened criminals. EYE ON KELOLAND takes an in depth look at Janklow's Justice.

Albert Lewis. Killed his wife with a hammer. Her body so mutilated she was unrecognizable.

Jimmy Cowell. Sentenced to life in prison without parole for killing one of his drug buddies. Cut him up in to several small pieces.

Eric Castaneira. 100 years in prison for kidnapping and holding an insurance executive hostage at gun point for several hours.

Despite their horrendous crimes, today all three men are walking free, because Bill Janklow signed these documents commuting their sentences.

Minnehaha County State's attorney Dave Nelson prosecuted Castaneira. Nelson worked to get Castaneira convicted and locked up for what he thought was for a long time.

In South Dakota, a governor can commute an inmate's sentence without input from the board of pardons and parole. It's called executive clemency.

In January of 1999, Janklow commuted Castaneira's sentence without notifying anyone, including Nelson.

Janklow commuted almost 2,000 sentences, but only one went before the board of pardons and paroles.

That's John Sweeney, who's walking free today. He was convicted in 1982 of kidnapping. Sentenced to life in prison.

"I was thinking I'm never going to drive a car again, I'll never cook a meal for myself again, I'm never going to go fishing, I'm never going to hold my grandchildren and it's devastating," said Sweeney.

But devastation turned into jubilation when Janklow commuted Sweeney's sentence. After serving 17 years, Sweeney was released from prison in July of 1999.

Sweeney understands why Janklow's record number of commutations is controversial, but says not all are violent offenders.

But a commutation back in 1982, came back to haunt Janklow.

He commuted the sentence of this man Rocky Blair. Months later Blair killed a nurse in McKennan hospital's parking ramp.

And that's the biggest fear when commuting the sentence of a violent offender, that they may one day reoffend.

Don Jorgensen

New York City has completed changing 82,500 of the city's old-
fashioned, energy-draining "walk/don't walk" signs. The new LED signals will last for 100,000 hours, or more than 12 years, compared to the two-year life span for incandescent bulbs, the New York Post reports. The energy savings are estimated at $6.3 million a year because LEDs use between 8 and 20 watts of power compared to 67 watts for the old lamps, according to the mayor.

21 (Sat) Ft. Myers, “8^th Annual BIKERS vs. BRAINERS Trivia Challenge,” ABATE, Estero River Chapter. Will be at the Barnes & Noble Bookstore, South Tamiami Trail, Ft. Myers. To benefit The South Florida MENSA Gifted Child Scholarship Fund. More info call Sam Sewell at (239) 591-4565 or Red at (239) 940-3397. E-Mail: Redster883@aol.com

MARCH

2/27-3/7 (Fri – Sun) Daytona Beach, “Daytona Bike Week 2004. ”

6 (Sat) Ft. Myers, “Lap Dance Run,” Enforcers M/C #4, Naples Chapter. More info call BillyBob at (239) 353-9300. E-Mail: Roadcaptan@aol.com

13 (Sat) Ft. Myers, “Meeting of the Minds.” American Legion Post #38, 1857 Jackson St. (corner of MLK & Jackson St.). Start at Noon. All are welcome to attend. More info call Tammy at (239) 289-2647.

E-Mail: We2rbricksolid1@comcast.net

* Park Service Hazes 90 buffalo near Gardiner

Shortly after the ten buffalo were shipped to slaughter from West Yellowstone this morning we received word from our volunteers in Gardiner that a herd of 69 buffalo was less than 200 feet from the Stephens Creek Trap, where last March the Park Service captured and slaughtered 231 buffalo. Fortunately the Park Rangers decided to haze rather than capture, and the buffalo were moved further back into the park. Along the way, they picked up another 21 buffalo, and the herd of 90 are currently grazing safely inside Yellowstone National Park.

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* Support the Yellowstone Buffalo Preservation Act

The Yellowstone Buffalo Preservation Act, H.R. 3446, is the first step toward realizing a future of truly wild and free buffalo herds once again roaming the western landscape. The bill calls for a three-year moratorium on the hazing, capturing and killing of Yellowstone bison. It expands the boundary in which bison will be allowed undisturbed access on both the west and north sides of Yellowstone National Park. The bill also requires the dismantling of the Stephen's Creek Capture Facility located inside Yellowstone National Park and re-establishes the Park Service as having sole jurisdiction over bison within the Park.

The bill is currently sitting in the House Resources Committee waiting for enough co-sponsors to call for hearings. We currently have 57 co-sponsors signed on to the bill. Please check to see if your representative is a co-sponsor of H.R. 3446 on our website at: http://www.wildrockies.org/Buffalo/politico/3446.html.

If they have not already joined in defense of the last wild buffalo, please encourage them to do so by calling or sending an email. Also, letters to the editor in your local paper are a good way to encourage support for the bill and to spread the word

According to poetic legend, Lizzie Borden used her ax and gave her mother 40 whacks and her father 41. In actuality, the police accused her of giving her father 10 whacks and her step mom 19. Lizzie was acquitted at her trial of the double murder.

AMSTERDAM — On the eve of a Hells Angels funeral, police have revealed that a fourth man was seen with the three motorcycle club members who were found shot dead in the southern city of Echt last week.

Witnesses claim the three victims got into a car at the clubhouse Angels Place in Oirsbeek with the fourth man on 11 February. But the missing man was not found in or around the stream where the other bodies were found on 13 February.

The victims were not seen again alive after they left Oirsbeek, but the same applies to the fourth man. Police are investigating the witness statements and in total, 15 to 20 tips have been lodged with authorities.

The 54-year-old Paul de Vries, of Geleen; the 34-year-old Serge Waargenoer, of Nieuwstadt and the 33-year-old Cor Pijnenburg, of Geldrop, were found dead with several gun shot wounds.

They were members of the De Nomads, a Hells Angels motorcycle club, but police have ruled out concerns of a gang war.

Former WWF Superstar Causes Boston Anthrax Scare
The following is from the Boston Herald:

He was the pec-perfect model for a toy action figure and a cartoon character puzzle, but it's former pro wrestling giant Brutus "The Barber" Beefcake who's gone to pieces.

Beefcake - these days Edward Leslie, 46, of Winchester - voluntarily checked into a treatment program Monday, according to a source, after cocaine he admitted was his created an anthrax scare at the MBTA's Downtown Crossing subway station.

Sources said the man who acquired his stage name for hacking off the hair of his enemies in the ring had been working there part time as a fare collector - a job that pays $25,000 a year.

"He was a big star for the World Wrestling (Federation)," Buck Woodward, a columnist for an online pro wrestling magazine,
said yesterday of Leslie.

"During the '80s wrestling boom he became popular because he was very good friends with Hulk Hogan.''

But behind the colossal bronzed chest and TV set of his own wrestling talk show, "The Barber Shop," Leslie's life was headed for the ropes. In 1990, his face was reconstructed with plates and bolts after a freak parasailing accident. Last April, the IRS slammed him with a lien for $57,425, according to records.

The MBTA confirmed yesterday they have an employee name Edward
Leslie, but would not say if he was the one they suspended without pay after cocaine turned up Sunday afternoon on the counter of a Downtown Crossing   fare booth, prompting an emergency hazmat response.

"Right now it's only an internal disciplinary matter," said  MBTA spokesman Joe Pesaturo. "He has been cooperative with police."

Although the subway station was evacuated, MBTA Deputy Police Chief Thomas McCarthy said the fare collector - who he also would not identify - spared commuters further inconvenience by coming clean and dispelling terrorism fears.

Leslie's wife, Barbara, did not return a call yesterday.

Leslie was easily earning "six figures" in his heyday, said Woodward, noting that such falls from fame in the world of wrestling "have happened before. There are guys who wasted their money, just like a rock star."

RAPID CITY, S.D. - The manslaughter case against former U.S. Rep. Bill Janklow has prompted a national motorcycle group to seek stiffer criminal penalties against drivers who seriously injure or kill bikers.

The 265,000-member American Motorcyclist Association announced its Justice for All initiative on Wednesday. The effort was prompted in part by what the AMA called a lenient sentence for Janklow in the death of Minnesota motorcyclist Randy Scott.

In December, a Moody County jury convicted Janklow of speeding, running a stop sign, reckless driving and second-degree manslaughter. He began serving a 100-day jail sentence on Feb. 7 in Sioux Falls for the Aug. 16 accident.

Janklow, a longtime Republican governor, could have received up to 10 years in prison.

The goal of the initiative is to advocate nationwide for legislation that would establish tougher penalties when traffic offenses or criminal actions by other motorists result in a motorcyclist's death or serious injury, the organization said. The move also would benefit other road users such as bicyclists and pedestrians, according to an AMA news release.

"Justice for All is not a South Dakota initiative," said Tom Lindsay, an AMA spokesman. "It's a nationwide initiative focusing on similar injustices, and similar tragedies like the one that affected the (Randy) Scott family."

Some campaign activities may coincide with this year's Sturgis motorcycle rally. The association has been in touch with the Sturgis city rally office about possible events during the rally but nothing has been finalized, said Lindsay.

Lindsay said the group would approach the initiative on a state-by-state basis. "Of course, one way generally we can look at this is mandatory minimum sentences."

Some bikers have called for a boycott of the annual Sturgis motorcycle rally, a move the AMA does not support.

A boycott would unfairly hurt people in the motorcycle business who come to South Dakota to earn money during the rally, Lindsay said. It also would unfairly hurt South Dakotans, many of whom benefit economically from the huge rally.

"The people of South Dakota were well represented in the Janklow case by jury of 12, which properly convicted him on all four counts," Lindsay said.

On the Net:American Motorcycle Association: www.AMADirectlink.com

Not many people outside of the small state know that there are two spectacular caves open to the public in New Hampshire: those at Lost River Reservation and the Polar Caves Park. These are both open from May through October.

Designer Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel introduced her first perfume in 1921. She gave it the name "Chanel No. 5."
According to Chanel, she jumped straight to number five because it was her lucky number. To add luck to the fragrance, she introduced it on the fifth day of May, the fifth month. Chanel No. 5 became the world's best selling perfume.

Bizarre Festivals
Gotmaar Festival (India, September) - On the day after the September full moon, the 45,000 residents of Pandhura divide themselves into two groups and hurl rocks at each other   until sunset when the fighting ends.

Moose-Dropping Festival (Alaska, July) - The town of Talkeetna is host to an annual celebration of moose droppings. Stalls sell jewelry and assorted knick knacks made from  moose droppings. The highlight of the celebration is the moose dropping throwing competition, where competitors throw gold-painted moose droppings into a target area.

Cheese-Rolling (U.K., May) - At 6 p.m. on Spring Bank Holiday Monday, local youths line up at the top of the hill alongside a 7 pound circular Double Gloucester cheese. When the cheese is released, the competitors hurtle down the hill in an attempt to catch it before it reaches the bottom.

Grandmother's Festival (Norway, July) - First held at Bodo  in 1992, the festival sees grannies riding motorbikes, race horses, skydiving and scuba-diving. The star of the inaugural event was 79 year old Elida Anderson who became the world's oldest bungee jumper.