Yankton County Deputy States Attorney Erich Johnke Endorses Ravnsborg for Attorney General 

20 thoughts on “Yankton County Deputy States Attorney Erich Johnke Endorses Ravnsborg for Attorney General ”

1. How can this be…the Fitzgeralds keep telling me DAILY that he never has been in a courtroom……

   1. Well, that is all Fitzgerald can claim, that he is always in the courtroom. I guess if you want to try everything you’re bound to win less than half your cases. Fitzgerald seems to think that being in a courtroom constantly is all that it takes to be AG. However, it takes leadership experience, and Jason is head and shoulders above Fitzgerald in that department. Jason is also a tremendously hard worker who not only does work for the state but also is in private practice, so he isn’t simply a government employee; he knows how it is in the private sector.

      1. I heard from multiple sources that it is more than 50% Fitzgerald has not convicted, I heard it is more around only 25%. The national average is somewhere around 93% for federal, couldn’t find state. 25% is a very poor rate for Fitzgerald, clearly he is not that good of a prosecutor.

         1. If you were in the majors batting .250 that would be okay, but it’s a lousy conviction rate. It’s a poor use of taxpayer funds.

2. Nicely done video…Erich is a good attorney and well respected.

3. Why do all these people lying about Ravnsborg being in the courtroom all the time….that is not what Team Fitzgerald tells me…I got a message recently from them that said he doesn’t work at all….hmmmm I think I know who is lying and it is not Jason!

4. seiler is actually going to be tough to run against, he has a prosecutorial record that shows he’s no slouch. the sdgop needs to reeeeeeeeeeeeeeally pick the best person for the job. really.

   1. Agreed enquirer, and Ravnsborg is the beeeeeeeeeeeeesssssssstttttttt pick for the job.

5. I respect the effort he has made and the support shown here, but personally I am glad we only have three more days of listening to this. Soon Ravnsborg will once again be off to oblivion, never to be heard from, until the next time he attempts to run for something he isn’t remotely qualified for. Maybe he will run for U.S. Senate again. Maybe he can pose in front of a B-1 Bomber this time. It might get him more of the West River vote.

   1. Stace, you just don’t give up. Why are you so hung up on Ravnsborg, you must be jealous of him. It’s old and pathetic Stacie. Why don’t you come out of the bathroom and man up and put your name to these post.

   2. I’m not so sure Mrs Fitzgerald.

6. Without a doubt, the debate surrounding the AG candidates will go down as the stupidest I’ve ever seen. Whether it be the criticisms of Fitz, Ravn, or Russ, they are hardly ever in context or relevant.

   Let me focus on the most recent stupid statement: The above conviction rate.

   You realize that is a meaningless number without analyzing what underlies and how they are computed. Let me give you an example. Two States Attorney’s have exactly the same 20 crimes with exactly the same circumstances.

   SA #1: Takes every one to court, gets convictions on 15 and loses 5. 75% conviction rate.

   SA#2: Gets plea agreements on 18 and takes 2 to court losing one and winning one. 50% conviction rate.

   Which is the better prosecutor? Who better managed the courts, detention system, and SA’s office resources?

   In short, you can’t tell because you don’t have enough information and inferring some conviction rate compared to FEDERAL crimes is an assessment of Fitz is just a form of telling a lie.

   At the end of the day, except for some of the endorsements of Ravn, just about every statement made by someone steered me toward a position the opposite of the person who made the statement.

   1. Courts in Union County, where Ravnsborg, from two counties away, somehow secured an appointment as a special part-time deputy state’s attorney, and gets confirmation that Ravnsborg has never prosecuted any trials in Union County:

      Caller: “Can you tell me if Jason Ravnsborg has done any trials in Union County recently as a Volunteer Deputy State’s Attorney?”

      Larsen: “Like, a jury trial?”

      Caller: “Correct.”

      Larsen: “No, he has not.”

      Caller: “Does he appear in court very often there?”

      Larsen: “He appears in court on occasion. He’s not here every month.”

      Caller: “What type of hearings does he do?”

      Larsen: “Whatever the State’s Attorney has appointed him to. I don’t keep track of what he does.”

      Caller: “He hasn’t done, like, any attempted murder trials, or rape trials there in the last year?”

      Larsen: “We haven’t had any trials with him.”

      Big League Politics confirmed with Larsen that Ravnsborg has not conducted any jury trials, but has presided over cases that have pled out [Peter D’Abrosca, “South Dakota Candidate for Attorney General Claims to Be Big Shot Prosecutor; Court Says Otherwise,” Big League Politics, 2018.06.19].

      While not mentioning Ravnsborg’s opponents by name, BLP notes Lance Russell and John Fitzgerald have significantly more experience as practicing attorneys. They then observe with dripping disdain, “Ravnsborg’s light workload has allowed him to spend the past three years traveling South Dakota, glad-handing with potential political supporters and cozying up to the State GOP.”

      Now notice, Republican delegates: that’s not liberal me knocking down Ravnsborg; that’s an archly conservative website making no apparent endorsement but making clear that Ravnsborg is stretching the truth about his paltry legal experience. Take that for what it’s worth, Republicans… but remember: the eminently experienced Democratic nominee Randy Seiler awaits your choice.

      Share:

7. Troy I would agree that Jason has the strongest endorsements by far and if they would actually read them they would see he’s got plenty of experience

   1. If you’ve never done a jury trial you don’t have “plenty of experience.” End of story.

8. Jason is our guy! I know quite a few people in law enforcement that will never support Fitzgerald or Russell.

   Keep up the hard work we are with you

9. Twice in one thread a repeat of the top two stupid arguments in the AG race. After the argument Fitz is not a good prosecutor (which all judges and fellow attorneys concede he is great in the courtroom, we get to hear from the moron who keeps bringing up Jason’s military experience is only reminding us Jason has experience managing more than a few people, a significant component of being AG.

   You just can’t make up the idiocy.

10. Anonymous 6:15,

    You have to be a plant for Ravnsberg. Every time you post I like Jason more and more.

    1. Many Democrats and Independents agree. Ravnsberg is who they support for the nomination. 🙂

11. So is the union County Clerk of Courts lying?

Comments are closed.