I said I would remain quiet on this topic until it played out in court. Well the ruling is in, and so is DL’s opinion on the matter;
Sioux Falls Assistant City Attorney Keith Allenstein has pleaded guilty to drunken driving, Attorney General Marty Jackley announced Wednesday.
City Attorney Dave Pfeifle said Allenstein will continue serving in his current position as legal adviser to both the Sioux Falls police and fire departments.
“Both chiefs in those departments have expressed the utmost confidence in his ability to perform his job,†Pfeifle said.
Do I think Allenstein should lose his job over the conviction? Probably not, not to mention, I am also not his manager, so if the conviction doesn’t impede on his job performance I see no reason to cut him loose. BUT, I will say this, it’s not like Keith is the chief goose crap bike trail scraper for the Parks & Rec department, he is a city attorney whose position with that office is to advise the SFPD and FD. I am uncomfortable with him advising law enforcement on any issue if he can’t even abide by traffic laws himself. I think his position should be changed and a demotion should be considered.
All that being said, what frustrates me the most about this case is the blatant hypocrisy of this administration, especially towards women.
City Clerk Debra Owen was fired over (allegedly) an employee conflict issue. She had to be replaced by three people.
Head Librarian Sally Felix was fired (asked to retire) because of her disagreements with her boss.
We also must look at another city attorney who was (allegedly) fired because he (allegedly) got caught fixing a ticket for one of his children. Not a minor offense, and definitely something worth being terminated over.
So you ask yourself, if the city attorney who advises the PD and FD can plead guilty to DUI and not have any repercussions, what is the BAR for a terminating offense with Huether? I guess it is OK to drive drunk, just don’t disagree with your boss.