Hundreds of Rape Kits Left Untested until Public Outcry Forced Jackley to Act
Earlier this month, Marty Jackley stood before reporters to say: “I feel strongly that those victims deserve better protections and better rights.” But as Marty Jackley pointed out during Tuesday’s South Dakota Public Broadcasting debate, there’s a difference between a Republican that “talks about things” and a Republican that “does things.”
South Dakota had the capacity to test every rape kit. Still, Marty Jackley’s poor leadership left hundreds of rape kits untested, even though the evidence could have helped “put potential predators behind bars.”
WHY TEST ALL RAPE KITS?
“Mandatory testing of every rape kit can make or break a criminal case… Kit analysis can also expose serial offenders…” (Argus Leader, 19 July 2015)
HOW LARGE WAS THE BACKLOG?
The “Sioux Falls Police Department had been sitting on more than 350 untested rape kits, including 225 that it sent to the state crime lab [which Marty Jackley oversees] in 2014.” The backlog meant “officials could be missing opportunities to match DNA samples with known offenders….” (Argus Leader, 19 December 2015)
DID SOUTH DAKOTA HAVE THE CAPACITY?
“South Dakota has the capacity to test all its rape kits – the state’s forensics lab in Pierre is quicker and more efficient than the national average, and the cost is minimal.” (Argus Leader, 19 July 2015)
IF SOUTH DAKOTA HAD THE CAPACITY, WHY WASN’T THIS A PRIORITY?
“Jackley said there is no time table for clearing the backlog of untested kits, and that expediting the process would require money to hire another examiner. He said he’s reluctant to request that funding from the Legislature….” (Argus Leader, 19 December 2015)
WHAT HAPPENED AFTER THE PUBLIC OUTCRY?
Despite the December 19 reluctance over hiring an additional forensic scientist to help clear the backlog, “Marty Jackley … approved the new position Monday, a day after the Argus Leader reported on the state’s slow progress clearing the backlog.” (Associated Press, 23 December 2015) The following year, the state legislature passed legislation requiring “the testing of all rape kits going forward.” (Argus Leader, 27 October 2016)
IS INACTION A PATTERN FOR MARTY JACKLEY?
>>> Only after the Argus Leader drew attention to the backlog of rape kits did Marty Jackley act.
>>> Only after a federal judge ordered Jackley’s DCI director to appear in court to explain why the state had delayed Laura Kaiser’s settlement did Marty Jackley act.
>>> Only after Kristi Noem spoke out did Marty Jackley bring the Law Enforcement Officers Standards and Training Commission into compliance with state transparency laws.
“Marty Jackley is right. There’s a difference between a Republican that talks about things, and a Republican like Kristi Noem that does things,” said Justin Brasell, Kristi for Governor Campaign Manager.
Accirding to Noem, Jackley is:
1) Anti-Gun
2) Pro-Abortion
3) Ok with Rape
That may not be what she says, but it’s the impression her press releases are meant to engender within the minds of voters.
Jackley’s press releases are meant to engender the impression that Noem is a mudslinger with corrupt character.
http://dakotawarcollege.com/release-noem-attacks-jackley-in-negative-tv-and-radio-ads/
Oh, and an “honorable public servant.”
http://dakotawarcollege.com/new-jackley-comparison-mailer-hits-this-weekend/
According to Jackley, he is:
1) Pro Gun
2) Pro-Life
3) Not ok with rape.
That may be what he says but its certainly not the impression his actions in office have engendered within the minds of any common sense individual with two eyes and a brain.
The comment above looks to me like it was posted by a Jackley supporter pretending to be a Noem supporter and trying to make Noem supporters look bad.
Jackley’s press releases (and blog trolls) are meant to engender the impression that Noem is a mudslinger with corrupt character.
http://dakotawarcollege.com/release-noem-attacks-jackley-in-negative-tv-and-radio-ads/
Oh! What a surprise! Another hit-job by Kristi! Shocker!! The more this campaign has progressed, the more she has made me regret ever helping her get into office. Can’t stand her anymore!!
Sickening campaign Noem has started to run.
I’m confident Jackley is feeling sick after Noem released facts about him. Problem for him is that they’re real facts!
Two weeks ago, a very, very large percentage of South Dakotans would say Noem has been a good USRep. and Jackley a good AG. Now, in the last days, Noem is spending most of her efforts and money trying to convince us Jackley was a bad AG and very little to convince us she will be a good Governor.
The Argus-Kelo poll had it 45-44 Noem (or there abouts). It will be very interesting if Noem actually gets over 45%. This will not end well.
22% of voters in the Argus-Kelo poll were registered independent or Democrats, of whom support Jackley more than Kristi because Kristi is a true Conservative. In reality i’d put it somewhere around 44-47 for Kristi. It will still be VERY close. I still think Kristi will win though, she’s just got a better jib for Governor. I think Jackley would do better in Washington. He’d represent us much better there.
That was a prior poll by LPS. According to what the Argus said about their poll by Mason-Dixon, “In a survey of 625 registered Republican voters likely to cast their ballots in the election.”
Do you have information that it included independents and democrats?
Troy Jones – I don’t check this website too often, except shortly before an election. I respect the time and thought you put into your decisions. So many Republican women, me being one of them, spent many, many hours making calls, stuffing envelopes, going door-to-door when Kristi first ran against Stephanie Herseth. I genuinely liked Kristi, and of course continued to support her subsequent campaigns. This time around, she has completely lost me. Now I wish she would have stayed in DC, especially since she worked her way on to the coveted Ways & Means Committee. I have gone “all in” for Marty Jackley. I agree with the RC Journal that he has more experience and skills needed to govern a state. The fact that Kristi has gone completely off the deep end with her senseless attacks, assassinations, and her warped version of facts has made it really easy for me to move on to Marty after throwing years of support behind Kristi.
Coming soon to a theater near you…
“I’m a huge Kristi Noem fan and will be until the day I die, but even I have to admit I’m voting for Marty because he’s a much better candidate and Noem is basically a joke.”
Yeah that would only be in a theater as it is fiction
I’ve talked with Kristi’s staff. She was already slated for removal from the Ways and Means Committee, has she stayed in. Kristi had reached the apex of her career in the House and was not going to be able to maintain any level of either real or perceived influence.
You don’t just get removed from a committee. That’s not how it works.
Because you’re trying to obfuscate and make it about Kristi, let’s reexamine the point of this post, Marty’s sleazy lawyer antics:
>>> Only after the Argus Leader drew attention to the backlog of rape kits did Marty Jackley act.
>>> Only after a federal judge ordered Jackley’s DCI director to appear in court to explain why the state had delayed Laura Kaiser’s settlement did Marty Jackley act.
>>> Only after Kristi Noem spoke out did Marty Jackley bring the Law Enforcement Officers Standards and Training Commission into compliance with state transparency laws.
There was a question about this on that poll/survey from months ago.
Are kits required to be tested when there’s a false rape claim? While in college, a classmate found her boyfriend was cheating. To get revenge she was going to sleep with him and then claim he raped her.
Marty is not pro-rape. I see this attack as similar to when Democrats claim Republicans are pro-school shooting because they will not take away law abiding citizens’ guns.