South Dakota Attorney General pleads no contest to 2 counts in fatal crash

FORT PIERRE, S.D. – South Dakota’s attorney general has pleaded no contest to a pair of misdemeanor charges in the death of a pedestrian last year.

Jason Ravnsborg entered the pleas Thursday to charges of making an illegal lane change and using a phone while driving. Each charge carries a sentence of up to 30 days in jail and up to a $500 fine.

As part of his plea deal, prosecutors dropped a careless driving charge against the state’s highest law enforcement officer.

Ravnsborg, who was elected to his first term in 2018, initially told authorities that he thought he had struck a deer or other large animal on Sept. 12 as he drove home from a Republican fundraiser. Prosecutors charged Ravnsborg in February.