BELLE FOURCHE, S.D. – A western South Dakota lawmaker has pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor charge in a Butte County road damage case.
State Representative Travis Ismay of Newell was originally charged with a felony count of intentional damage to a highway or bridge. Under a plea agreement, that charge was reduced to misdemeanor destruction of a highway.
Ismay was ordered to pay $1,750 in restitution and $78 in court costs after entering a no-contest plea Friday. According to a statement from the Butte County State’s Attorney’s Office, Ismay graded a road near his home because he believed poor road conditions justified the work. However, county officials say the roadway became unsafe and had to be repaired by highway crews.
Prosecutors say the felony charge was dropped in exchange for Ismay’s agreement to repay the county for the cost of the repairs. Ismay said he appreciated what he described as a common-sense resolution to the case.
Meanwhile, a separate criminal case remains pending against State Senator Tom Pischke of Dell Rapids, who faces felony election-related charges in Minnehaha County. Pischke has pleaded not guilty and is scheduled to be arraigned in September. He has also withdrawn from his reelection campaign.
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