FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:  Thursday, July 20, 2017      
CONTACT:  Sara Rabern (605) 773-3215   

PIERRE, S.D. – Attorney General Marty Jackley announced today that the South Dakota Supreme Court has affirmed the felony convictions and sentence of Annette Bosworth for filing false petitions in her 2014 U.S. Senate Primary race.
“Today’s decision upholds and protects the integrity of our institutions and elections in South Dakota.  The decision affirms the hard work and deliberations of our citizen jurors in this case,” said Jackley.
Bosworth raised three issues challenging her convictions including the claim that her petition sheets were not false instruments. 
In May 2015, Bosworth was convicted on 12 felony election law violations.  She was    sentenced to 2 years for each of the 6 convictions for filing false or forged documents and 2 years for each of the 6 convictions for perjury.  All sentences were suspended, with 3 years of probation.  The court vacated charges on six counts of perjury, finding that submission of petition forms is not “process” within the meaning of the perjury statute.  Based on the affirmance of the convictions and sentence for the six felony false document charges, there will be no further court proceedings on either the perjury charges or the sentence.

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