Liberal Wisconsin Supreme Court Candidate Defends Soft-On-Crime Record

Janet Protasiewicz Gave Light Sentences to Some Offenders

In a recent debate against her conservative opponent, former Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Dan Kelly, liberal Wisconsin Supreme Court candidate Janet Protasiewicz defended her record of issuing light sentences to some rapists and pedophiles during her tenure as a Milwaukee Circuit Court Judge, including giving no jail time to a sex offender who later killed a woman. She argued that a handful of her cases had been cherry-picked and twisted to criticize her, calling the criticism “unfair.”

In response, Kelly argued that the cases were representative of her record on “weak-on-crime sentencing” and highlighted several of her court decisions, including one in which she gave no jail time to a man who sexually assaulted a 13-year-old child and posted a video of the attack on Facebook. Another case involved the release of a man who raped a 15-year-old, citing COVID concerns, according to court records.

The Wisconsin Supreme Court race between Protasiewicz and Kelly is the only scheduled debate of the election, which could have national implications for the 2024 presidential elections and has already broken U.S. spending records for state judiciary campaigns. Crime has become a crucial issue in the race, with Kelly and his allies criticizing Protasiewicz over her sentencing history.

During the debate, Protasiewicz denied Kelly’s claims, calling them outright lies. However, court records contradict her claims, including her statement that COVID concerns were not a factor in her decision to release a man who went on to kill a woman in a drunk driving accident. In one case, Protasiewicz gave a 14-month prison sentence to a man who raped his own cousin while the victim was unconscious, saying that she did not think he was a danger to society.