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A jury of four men and eight women found former Republican candidate to the U.S. Senate Dr. Annette Bosworth guilty of a dozen felony counts including perjury and filing and turning in false documents during her 2014 campaign.
On Wednesday, the jury deliberated about three hours and finally reached a verdict around 8:20 p.m. The defendant listened to the verdict with no signs of emotion on her face. She would still be free on bond and be able to practice her profession of doctor of internal medicine.
State Judge John Brown from Hughes County Courthouse announced that Dr. Bosworth, 43, would be sentenced July 1.
She will be sentenced for six counts stating that some of her nominating petitions were false and six counts stating that she committed perjury by lying she witnessed when the signatures were made.
Each of the counts has a maximum sentence of two years in prison, but law experts believe that under the state law she would face probation not jail since the felonies she had been charged of are too low-level. She is at risk, however, of losing the right to practice her profession because of the felony convictions.
On Wednesday night, Dr. Bosworth left courtroom with her husband. She declined to make any comment and quickly vanished in her white SUV.
Deputy Attorney General Robert Mayer was very pleased with the verdict. He said that election laws were “sacred” and he was excited that the panel sent a message to any future trespasser that the state was taking election process “very seriously.”
The verdict was announced around 7:30 p.m. But at that hour, the jury told judge Brown that it had reached a partial verdict because they were “hung” on some of the felony counts. The judge urged them to work toward reaching a final verdict on all counts. Around 7:35 the deliberating process was finally over.
Jurors started deliberating around 5 a.m. following three days of testimony from tens of witnesses, and hours of pleas from attorneys and their closing arguments. But since the judge hadn’t provided a deadline for deliberation, the jury might have as well continue into the night.
Dr. Bosworth was found guilty of falsifying the petitions that supported her nomination to the U.S. Senate from South Dakota and of lying authorities that she personally verified the signatures and was present when the signature was taken.
Dr. Bosworth admitted that signatures from six voters were not taken in her presence because she was either working at her office or campaigning at that time.
Image Source: Keloland
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