Liberal Wisconsin Supreme Court candidate dubbed ‘No Jail Janet’ for letting violent felons off easy

Wisconsin judge Janet Protasiewicz, who is running for a seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court, has been labeled “No Jail Janet” due to her history of giving lenient sentences to felons, some of whom went on to commit more crimes.

One such felon is Matthew J. Neumann, who was convicted in 2020 of two counts of first-degree reckless homicide and two counts of hiding a corpse. Despite the serious nature of these crimes, Protasiewicz gave him a light sentence, and he eventually committed more heinous acts.

Protasiewicz is running against conservative candidate and former Justice Daniel Kelly, and her record on sentencing has been used against her in attack ads.

In addition to Neumann’s case, Protasiewicz has also given light sentences to a man who broke his wife’s face and later went on a shooting spree, and another man who raped his cousin while she was unconscious.

Three Wisconsin sheriffs have criticized Protasiewicz for failing to hold dangerous criminals accountable, referring specifically to the case of Quantrell Bounds, who received probation after assaulting and raping a 13-year-old girl and recording the incident.

Despite her claims that she has not been lenient in her sentences, transcripts and court records have proven otherwise.

The election for the Wisconsin Supreme Court seat is nonpartisan, but the court currently has a conservative majority. The election is expected to be consequential, with the ideological makeup of the court at stake in matters such as abortion, gerrymandering, and election laws.