On July 27, USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin sent an open records request to the Wisconsin Department of Justice. It was seeking reports on the operations of the state crime lab and whether there continue to be backlogs in processing evidence. Hours after the request was...
sexual assault
What kind of crimes is DNA evidence used for in Wisconsin?
DNA evidence has been a game-changer for the criminal justice system, and even though the technology is relatively new, it has resulted in the conviction and exoneration of hundreds of people. DNA can be used in criminal investigations to determine if a person was at...
The problem of wrongful conviction in America: Part II
In our post last week, we began a discussion about the high number of exonerations in the U.S. in recent years. In 2013, for example, at least 87 people in the United States were exonerated, many of whom had spent years or even decades in prison for crimes they didn’t...
The problem of wrongful conviction in America: Part I
How do you compensate someone for the loss of years of their life? How do you compensate someone after wrongfully taking away their freedom? How do you compensate someone after destroying their reputation by erroneously accusing them of a horrible crime? In short,...
Professional cuddling business challenged as alleged prostitution
Compared to other countries, America is pretty puritanical about the subject of sex. And here in the Midwest, sex seems to be an especially taboo topic. Wisconsin's bashfulness about sex and intimacy might be evident in the way that a Madison-based business has been...
Sex crime laws sometimes result in disproportionate sentencing
The criminal justice system was intended to provide relatively uniform and proportional responses to various crimes based on their severity and other factors such as the intentions of the alleged criminal. Though most criminal offenders are held accountable by...
Milwaukee County official faces sexual assault allegations
Forcing someone to submit to another person's sexual advances is a very serious offense in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, as well as throughout the United States. Additionally, this crime is so serious that it attracts the attention not only of law enforcement, but also of the...
Wisconsin man facing multiple sex crime charges
Crimes that involve sex often attract widespread attention and create alarm with residents of Milwaukee. That is why most people who are charged with sex crimes, such as sexual assault, are extremely likely to suffer prejudice in the public's eyes in addition to the...
Milwaukee High School teacher faces sexual assault allegations
Wisconsin enforces strict laws when it comes to crimes involving sex. Because of the harm that it may bring, sexual assault is especially loathed by the community of Milwaukee. As a result, people who are faced with sexual assault allegations are often tagged as...
WI teenager accused of sexually assaulting another teenager
Being accused of any criminal offense should not be taken lightly. This is especially true for cases in which the defendant is accused of a sexual criminal offense, such as sexual assault. Sex crime convictions carry stiff penalties in Wisconsin. Recently, a teenager...