Local DA and co-chair of 2000 "Elect George W. Bush" to be sentenced

[sybylla]

The corruption of Joe Paulus
Former district attorney faces prison sentence
http://www.wisinfo.com/northwestern/news/local/stories/local_16815240.shtml

By Bethany K. Warner
of The Northwestern

<snip>
Paulus was cut from the list of possibilities for the U.S. attorney general appointment in November 2001. That was the first in what became a string of events that culminated with his downfall: Allegations of misconduct, challengers for the district attorney’s office and confirmation of an FBI investigation into his handling of certain cases.

The former Winnebago County district attorney — who pleaded guilty to federal charges of bribery and tax evasion in April — used to be linked to crime another way.

Paulus was a tough prosecutor, one of the best in the state according to some who knew him, and a leader in the legal field.

He now faces several years in prison when he is sentenced on the federal charges July 22.
<snip>

Another one bites the dust. I think that kind of misconduct in office deserves more than "several years in prision."

[zbdent]

1. Wow. A Bush megasupporter/appointee being charged

with tax evasion.

What are the odds?

[MessiahRp]

2. There's more to it than that

Heused the office to scam a lot of people, he went after people he didn't like and protected others he did... They're just starting to sort out the pieces but there is a lot of talk of corruption because of this guy. Illegal confession statements were just the latest thing we had heard from this scandal.

I have personal history with Paulus.

When I was 16 he decided to test out the new laws on Truancy on me. In Oshkosh there was no law previous that forced kids to go to school and then all of a sudden in 1994 we had some. Passed quietly by some City Council members to deter all us criminal kids I guess.

Well Paulus used me as a guinea pig for the concept (I was a habitual truant. I hated school partly because I was really depressed and anti-social at the time) and charged me with criminal truancy. I served 20 days in jail as one of the first test cases for the law.

My big issue is how Paulus treated me. Every other kid, younger than me was allowed to have a license suspension or a fine. I was denied. Paulus stated that I was too young (at 16?) for a suspension. Strangely enough my brother had his suspended at 14. Paulus also decided to badger me and call me every conceivable bad name in the book. I had committed truancy, not murder. But you'd never know it from the way the testimony was stated.

So I served time and soon after Paulus had tested about 20 more kids with the law and it became one of his calling cards because the local press and politicians loved the guy for being tough on "teenage crime".

Of course I have a bitter taste in my mouth because I was lumped into that category. Realize that when I went to jail every kid in that Juvy section was in for a real crime and they couldn't believe I was in for skipping school. My cell mate was a murderer from Kenosha whom had to stay up in our area because his jail was full and he was awaiting transfer to prison.

Did the law make me go back to school? No. I had my Mom remove me and I went back and got my HSED years later.

All the law did was fill up jail cells that could be used for real criminals, and force working parents to have to make sure they had a job where they could be home until after school started because if their kids skipped the parents' themselves faced huge fines or jail time as well.

Another misguided law pushed through by conservatives in the area.

Anyways That's my experience. The guy was an absolute asshole and I hope he runs into some of the criminals he scammed to send up. :)

Rp

[sybylla]

3. Whoa, Messiah, that's some scary shit!

I can certainly understand your "bitter taste" and hope this guy gets so much more than what the justice system's about to give him.

Perhaps he'll have a "hands-on" opportunity to learn the difference between real criminals and kids skipping school.

[secretdj]

4. it was the corruption charges that brought him down

[bobthedrummer]

5. That is the legacy of Tommy Thompson, we still have his greyhound

facilities unused.
Tommy is great pals with the eugenecist and co-author of "The Bell Curve", Charles Murray.