Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg pleads not guilty to charges in death of pedestrian

South Dakota Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg on Friday pleaded not guilty in a primary court hearing for three misdemeanor charges he is facing for striking and killing a pedestrian, Joseph Boever, with his car last summer. 

Ravnsborg was scheduled to make a first appearance, but his lawyer Tim Rensch made the plea on his behalf.  The prosecutor point that it is common for defendants to plead not guilty at this point in the trial before defense lawyers have a chance to look at the evidence.

“We might as well do that when we’re all here, your honor,” Rensch told Judge John Brown.

Ravnsborg faces three misdemeanor charges of careless driving, driving outside of his lane, and using a mobile device while driving.  The potential penalty for each is a $500 fine and a 30-day jail sentence.

Brown set a scheduling hearing for 60 days. By the time, the parties will review the updates in the case and specify a time for when a trial date could be set.

Rensch told Brown that it would take time to go through the investigation materials collected from the accident. However, Rensch declined to comment on the ongoing case.

Several of Boever’s relatives, including his widow, Jenny, his mother, and siblings were present during Friday’s hearing. Sioux Falls lawyer Scott Heidepriem, who is representing Boever’s family in a civil lawsuit accompanied them. Heidepriem declined to comment.

Boever’s cousin, Nick Nemec, said that the not-guilty plea is “troubling.”

“They’ve got him dead to rights using his cellphone while driving,” he said., “He was obviously out of his lane. The skid marks on Highway 14 are still visible.” 

Ravnsborg says Boever’s body was found by him the next day on his way to return Volek’s vehicle. He told investigators he didn’t see Boever’s body on the night of the accident, nor a flashlight contrary to what investigators say was on.