I almost always try to stay away from criminal cases on my site, ‘try’. But since this has to do with the city, and the ‘infamous’ city attorney’s office that couldn’t defend themselves out of a wet paper bag, I thought I would comment.
Assistant Sioux Falls City Attorney Keith Allenstein has been charged with drunk driving.
Court documents filed on June 27 show Allenstein was arrested on June 14 in Minnehaha County for DUI.
He was pulled over by the South Dakota Highway Patrol and the South Dakota Attorney General’s Office is now prosecuting the case. In most cases, if there is a conflict of interest with the local state’s attorney’s office the Attorney General’s Office will take up the case.
City Attorney David Pfiefle confirmed the arrest saying that his office is ‘monitoring the situation’ and does not ‘condone drinking and driving.’
Allenstein currently advises the Sioux Falls Police Department and Sioux Falls Fire Rescue on legal matters. He still is working in that role according to Pfiefle.
“We are going to allow the state proceeding to play out,†Pfiefle said in a phone conversation. “It’s too soon to know if any changes need to be made.â€
While I do agree with Fiddle-Faddle, that this should be played out in court, and not the court of public opinion (You CAN fail a breathalyzer and pass a blood test) there is a possibility that Keith is innocent, we should let the court decide.
BUT, where I disagree is that Keith is still advising the PD and FD. He should be taken off of those duties until after the verdict, but remain working. There seems to be this attitude with the Huether administration, do as I say, not as I do. But since when has Huether cared about bad PR? 🙂
If Keith is found guilty, he should be terminated, or at least his PD and FD duties taken away from him. I had the same argument when Janklow hit Randy Scott, while I didn’t care if Janks got any jail time, I certainly thought his law license and driver’s license should NOT have been given back to him. If you can’t follow the law, how can you be expected to practice it?
Ultimately how do you advise the PD and FD on legal matters, when you can’t even follow the law yourself? Seems a bit hypocritical to me.
Is this the city’s HR policy that applies to all city employees?
Arrested and charged with DUI
Allowed to stay in the same position, full wages/salary with benefits until your day in court
Also, why did it take the local media 24 days to report this?
Like I said, he could be innocent. Obviously he was drinking and driving, but was he over the legal limit? Trust me, if it is found he is guilty and is over the BAC by quite a bit, Fiddle-Faddle will have a lot of mud on his face. Of course, he is probably more worried about another lawsuit right now, I am just saying.
If SFPD had pulled him over instead of Highway Patrol, there’d be no arrest. Sioux Falls police has no internal affairs division and there’s no complaint process for city employees. There’s also no method of recalling a mayor. It all disappeared after Munson. Makes me wonder if the only real crime in Sioux Falls comes from city hall.
During Munson there were 3 employees in the city attorneys’ office. There are now several assistant city attorneys and lots of supporting cast. Per city ordinance 2-66, the city can’t go into court. Why does the Fife Player need so many snakes. I say play your tune and lead them out if town. Come back once we change mayors and most of the council. Then we will have replaced the embezzlement cleptocracy with something that works. Something of, by, & for the people. Something called democracy.
You can recall the mayor.
When is his court date?