http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=782&mname=ArticleGroup In The News en-us 60 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 19, 2012 For further information, contact:  Paul Farrow (414) 573-4663 Farrow Campaign: Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen Endorses Paul Farrow Van Hollen Supports Farrow’s Bid for 33rd Senate District Pewaukee – State Representative Paul Farrow (R-Pewaukee) today received the endorsement of Wisconsin Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen. Van Hollen was elected to serve as Wisconsin’s Attorney General in 2006. “Paul has been a great partner in our fight to protect Wisconsin families and restore fiscal sanity in Madison,” Van Hollen said. “I’ve seen him in action and know he will stand up for our core conservative beliefs of limited government, lower taxes, balanced budgets, and private-sector job creation. Paul would be a great addition to the state Senate.” “I am honored to have Attorney General Van Hollen endorse my candidacy for the 33rd Senate District,” stated Farrow. “J.B. and I take our commitment to public service very seriously, and I look forward to continuing to work together for safer communities and efficient use of taxpayer dollars.” Van Hollen joins Assembly Speaker Jeff Fitzgerald in supporting Farrow’s bid for Wisconsin's 33rd Senate District. State Representative Paul Farrow (R-Pewaukee) is running for Wisconsin’s 33rd Senate District. First elected to the State Assembly in 2010, he is a battle-tested conservative who stood firm with Governor Walker and his legislative colleagues to set Wisconsin back on the path to fiscal sustainability. A lifelong resident of the 33rd Senate District, Paul currently resides in Pewaukee, with his wife Amy and their children. Thu, 19 Jul 2012 16:05:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=33263&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=33263&mname=Article Watch the latest video at video.foxnews.com Tue, 05 Jun 2012 16:19:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=33027&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=33027&mname=Article By John Gizzi, Human Events MADISON, Wisconsin — As union operatives and their allies in the Democratic Party worked tirelessly to gather the required signatures for a recall election of Gov. Scott Walker, two of the top Republicans in Wisconsin agreed that, barely a year after he assumed the statehouse, Walker will almost surely face the voters in a recall election sometime in 2012. In back-to-back interviews with HUMAN EVENTS this week, both State Assembly Speaker Jeff Fitzgerald and State Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen said that the governor’s political enemies will probably get the 540,208 signatures they need to submit by January 13 in order to place him on the state ballot again this year. However, both voiced confidence in the eventual triumph of their fellow Republican Walker, who has become a national hate figure for Big Labor for ramming through legislation that would require most public employees in the Badger State to pay a greater share of their retirement benefits and that cut back on collective-bargaining in the public sector. For those same reasons, Walker has become a symbol of positive reform for Republicans and others who want to see government powers limited and government spending controlled. Fitzgerald and Van Hollen spoke to us on the same day that the State Capitol was rocked by news of the arrest of Tim Russell, a former aide to Walker when he was Milwaukee County Executive, on two felony and one misdemeanor charges. Although the charges have nothing to do with Walker or the policies that have made him a target of the left, several Republican sources said that the Russell arrest could only enhance the drive to remove the governor. As one veteran GOP consultant told HUMAN EVENTS, “You’ve heard of Teflon governors? Scott Walker is a Velcro governor — when his enemies hear something bad about the governor, they try to make it stick.” (Walker himself was out of town on the day of the arrest, Jan. 5.) “Yeah, they’ll probably get the signatures for the recall,” said Speaker Fitzgerald, “When you are talking about nearly 9,000 active operatives, the sky is the limit for them.” Bringing to mind the recall elections last year against several GOP senators who backed Walker on the reform measures (and which culminated in Republicans clinging to their majority in the senate by one seat), Fitzgerald noted that the unions are attempting to recall four GOP senators allied with Walker this year “and that includes my brother [Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald].” But, he quickly added, “I don’t think it will succeed in the long run. [Republicans] are going to make the case that, instead of kicking the can down the road the way it has been for years, we implemented real reform measures and turned a $3.6 billion state deficit.” Fitzgerald also said that the record of the Republican-controlled legislature — which includes a balanced budget, a permanent property tax freeze, a photo ID requirement for voting, conceal-and-carry legislation, and “the largest tort reform package in the U.S.” — would help Walker and the GOP survive the anticipated onslaught. “More importantly,” Fitzgerald said, “folks are now seeing that the sky hasn’t fallen in. The reforms we passed are working.” Two-term Attorney General Van Hollen agreed. Noting that “my office is in the middle of this, because the tumult over this recall idea requires a lot of legal work,” Van Hollen said that “the prognosis is that chances of a recall election by this summer are high, but the chances of the governor surviving and moving on are also high.” As Van Hollen sees it, “Gov. Walker’s eventual opponent will say he’s failed and the governor can say ‘So you want us to go back to the status quo?’ The governor has offered refreshing change and that’s why he should prevail.” The attorney general agreed that “the reforms have negatively impacted [public sector] unions and that’s the single most organized entity in Wisconsin.” However, he also pointed out that, so far at least, Democrats have not been able to come up with a fresh candidate to carry their banner against Walker. At this point, the most often mentioned names are those of former Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk (whom Van Hollen defeated to become attorney general in 2006) and State Sen. Tim Cullen. "And there’s a lot of misinformation out there," he said, "but that’s what you will get in the ‘People’s Republic of Madison." You can click here to view the article on the Human Events website. Fri, 06 Jan 2012 13:23:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=31858&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=31858&mname=Article Credenciales USA targeted nonnative speakers  By Georgia Pabst of the Journal Sentinel Credenciales USA and Hugo Loyo have been ordered to pay $385,520 for breaking state law by marketing and selling fake international driver's licenses and state identification cards, Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen announced Monday. Loyo, who ran the south side business since at least 2008, targeted foreign-born and nonnative speakers of English through newspaper ads and radio. He falsely claimed that the identification cards he was selling authorized consumers to drive legally in the United States and could be used as valid photo ID, neither of which was true, Van Hollen said in a statement. "In this case the perpetrators preyed on vulnerable consumers," he said. He warned consumers not to fall for such scams. Only the American Automobile Association and the American Automobile Touring Alliance are authorized to legally issue international driver's permits to U.S. residents, he added. The Federal Trade Commission has issued a consumer fraud alert regarding the marketing and sale of similar fake IDs in the U.S., Van Hollen said. Ads and offers for these IDs are showing up on websites and as spam email. They're also sold on the street and through storefront operations for $65 to $350, according to the FTC. Because neither Loyo nor his firm answered the complaint, Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Timothy Dugan has entered a default judgment and order in the case. Loyo is no longer in Milwaukee. It's believed Loyo has left the country and returned to Mexico. The court order also enjoins Loyo and Credenciales from conducting business in further violation of the law. In 2008, Voces de la Frontera and the Southside Organizing Committee, two local nonprofit groups, asked Loyo to stop advertising the identification documents, but Loyo refused the requests by the groups. "I don't do anything illegal, and they have no legal reason to ask me to stop," he said, according to the announcement. Loyo started providing the IDs after a new state law took effect that required proof of citizenship for a driver's license. He charged $100 or more for an international driver's license and $30 for the general ID, according to Christine Neumann-Ortiz, the executive director of Voces. She said Voces forwarded complaints from individuals to the state Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection. The case was later referred to the state Department of Justice. Click here to view the full story on the Journal Sentinel website Mon, 02 May 2011 13:10:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=30989&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=30989&mname=Article Watch the full episode. See more Here and Now. Fri, 04 Feb 2011 16:34:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=30404&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=30404&mname=Article Thu, 27 Jan 2011 09:39:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=30232&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=30232&mname=Article Watch the latest video at video.foxnews.com Tue, 09 Nov 2010 08:31:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=29772&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=29772&mname=Article THERE ARE THREE statewide constitutional offices to be filled in the election on Nov. 2 — attorney general, secretary of state and treasurer. Of course, the race for governor also is on the ballot, but we will save that for another day. The three other positions all are contested and voters will choose who will represent them for the next term. THE ONLY ONE that really matters is the race for attorney general. Incumbent Republican J.B. Van Hollen is opposed by Democrat Scott Hassett. Van Hollen, a former U.S. attorney, is completing his first term at the Department of Justice. Hassett is a trial lawyer and former secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. The challenger’s primary issue is that old chestnut so often pulled out for another roasting by the fellow who’s behind. Hassett says Van Hollen has politicized the office. Nonsense. Van Hollen has been an exemplary attorney general, one of the best in years. He’s a low-key, hard-working individual thoroughly committed to fair but aggressive application of the law. If anything, under his watch, the attorney general’s office has become less politicized and less controversial. Two words prove the point — Peg Lautenschlager. Attorney General Van Hollen has brought quiet, calm, efficient and effective management to the office. He should be re-elected. Click here to read the endorsement on the Beloit Daily News website. Mon, 25 Oct 2010 07:53:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=29622&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=29622&mname=Article Attorney General — Attorney General JB Van Hollen has been less political than many of his predecessors. While that may aggravate some of his potential opponents on the other side, it demonstrates that — for once — Wisconsin has an attorney general who is focused on concentrating on the enforcement of laws in Wisconsin, and not being an activist intent on higher political office. Van Hollen’s efforts to hire more staffers for the Wisconsin Crime Lab demonstrate his attention to detail and his ability as an administrator. The result of his efforts was the elimination of the case backlog and even the resolution of several high profile cold cases during his tenure as attorney general. His annual sessions around the state designed to update municipal, police and local officials as well as the media on the latest rulings in terms of the state’s Open Meetings and Public Records laws demonstrate Van Hollen believes in information before prosecution — and that ignorance of the law is not excusable. A competent administrator, a great prosecutor and a champion of the state’s Open Meetings and Public Records laws all make him worthy of reelection. Vote Van Hollen on Nov. 2. Click here to view the endorsement the Sun Prairie Star's website. Fri, 22 Oct 2010 09:04:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=29611&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=29611&mname=Article Tue, 19 Oct 2010 11:00:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=29538&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=29538&mname=Article FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 12, 2010 CONTACT: Darrin Schmitz, (608) 661-0777 WISCONSIN STATE LODGE FRATERNAL ORDER OF POLICE ENDORSES VAN HOLLEN FOR ATTORNEY GENERAL (MADISON, WI.) – Attorney General, J.B. Van Hollen formally announced today the endorsement of the Wisconsin State Lodge Fraternal Order of Police (FOP). The Wisconsin State Lodge Fraternal Order of Police is comprised of active and retired law enforcement officers at the Federal, State and Local levels. The FOP represents the men and the women who serve Wisconsin communities and protect the Nation's Freedoms. FOP’s mission is to improve the working conditions of law enforcement officers in Wisconsin through legislation, education and involvement in the community. In a letter of support, FOP President, Don Kapla, said, “As Attorney General, we believe you have consistently shown that Law Enforcement Officers are among your top priorities. You have demonstrated this commitment through your support of legislation that is important to us, as well as your creation of a more collaborative effort between State and local agencies.” The letter continued, “As an Organization that is dedicated to the safety and quality of life of Police Officers throughout the state, we look forward to working with your Office on issues of importance to Law Enforcement and to better keep our communities safe.” “I am honored to have earned the support of the Wisconsin State Lodge Fraternal Order of Police. Throughout my career, I have appreciated the immense dedication and selfless service of frontline law enforcement officers. I am proud that our efforts at the Department of Justice have served to help them do their jobs more effectively,” Van Hollen said. Attorney General Van Hollen is also currently endorsed by: • 64 sheriffs • 50 district attorneys • The Wisconsin Professional Police Association • The Milwaukee Police Association • The Milwaukee Police Supervisors Organization • The Wisconsin Sheriffs and Deputy Sheriffs Association • The National Association of Police Organization • The International Union of Police Associations • The Wisconsin Troopers Association • The Wisconsin Realtors Association • The Wisconsin Builders Association • The Tavern League of Wisconsin • The Wisconsin Dairy Business Association • The National Rifle Association of America • The Wisconsin Grocers Association --30-- Tue, 12 Oct 2010 16:35:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=29456&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=29456&mname=Article FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 8, 2010 CONTACT: Darrin Schmitz, (608) 661-0777 MILWAUKEE POLICE SUPERVISORS ORGANIZATION ENDORSES VAN HOLLEN FOR ATTORNEY GENERAL (MADISON, WI.) – Attorney General, J.B. Van Hollen formally announced today the endorsement of the Milwaukee Police Supervisors Organization (MPSO). The Milwaukee Police Supervisors Organization is comprised of supervisory officers of the Milwaukee Police Department. MPSO represents its members in matters affecting wages, hours and conditions of employment and also provides education to members regarding contract negotiations and legislative initiatives. In a letter of support, MPSO Director, Scott D. Charles, said, “The MPSO Board believes that Mr. Van Hollen is, by far, the most qualified, experienced, and professional individual for this position. The MPSO looks forward to working with Mr. Van Hollen and his team.” “It is my honor to accept the endorsement of the MPSO. I greatly value the leadership and direction that supervisory officers bring to law enforcement. I am proud that our message in the Department of Justice of fighting crime and restoring integrity has assisted frontline officers, and I look forward to continuing this partnership,” Van Hollen said. Attorney General Van Hollen is also currently endorsed by: • 64 sheriffs • 50 district attorneys • The Wisconsin Professional Police Association • The Milwaukee Police Association • The Wisconsin Sheriffs and Deputy Sheriffs Association • The National Association of Police Organization • The International Union of Police Associations • The Wisconsin Troopers Association • The Wisconsin Realtors Association • The Wisconsin Builders Association • The Tavern League of Wisconsin • The Wisconsin Dairy Business Association • The National Rifle Association of America • The Wisconsin Grocers Association --30-- Fri, 08 Oct 2010 11:49:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=29412&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=29412&mname=Article FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 30, 2010 CONTACT: Darrin Schmitz, (608) 661-0777 WISCONSIN GROCERS ASSOCIATION ENDORSES VAN HOLLEN FOR ATTORNEY GENERAL (MADISON, WI.) – Attorney General, J.B. Van Hollen announced today the endorsement of the Wisconsin Grocers Association (WGA) for re-election as Wisconsin's Attorney General. The Wisconsin Grocers Association works to promote and strengthen the grocery industry. The WGA’s membership is comprised of suppliers, wholesalers, brokers, manufacturers, and retailers throughout the food industry. The WGA represents its membership in legislative and regulatory efforts by supporting sound public policy initiatives. In a letter of support, WGA President and CEO, Brandon Scholz said, “The Board and the members of the association appreciate the diligence with which you determine your course of action on each issue that comes before your office. We also appreciate your leadership on the crime alert network which would benefit small businesses like grocery stores.” The letter continued, “You have refocused the Attorney General’s office to go after the bad guys rather than creating bad guys through an ideological approach.” “I am honored to earn the endorsement of the Wisconsin Grocers Association. Grocers are some of the most integral leaders in communities across Wisconsin.” Van Hollen said. “The support of the WGA reaffirms the fact that our efforts at the Wisconsin Department of Justice during my term have not only made our communities safer, but also created a climate that allows businesses that respect the rule of law to thrive.” Van Hollen continued. Attorney General Van Hollen is also currently endorsed by: • 62 sheriffs • 50 district attorneys • The Wisconsin Professional Police Association • The Milwaukee Police Association • The Wisconsin Sheriffs and Deputy Sheriffs Association • The National Association of Police Organization • The International Union of Police Associations • The Wisconsin Troopers Association • The Wisconsin Realtors Association • The Wisconsin Builders Association • The Tavern League of Wisconsin • The Wisconsin Dairy Business Association • The National Rifle Association of America ---30--- Thu, 30 Sep 2010 12:51:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=29272&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=29272&mname=Article FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 27, 2010 CONTACT: Darrin Schmitz, (608) 661-0777 NATIONAL RIFLE ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA ENDORSES VAN HOLLEN FOR ATTORNEY GENERAL (MADISON, WI.) – Attorney General, J.B. Van Hollen announced today the endorsement of the National Rifle Association of America (NRA). Established in 1871, the National Rifle Association is America's oldest civil rights and sportsmen's group. Representing nearly four million members, the NRA serves to support the Second Amendment and advocates enforcement of laws against violent offenders to reduce crime. The NRA stands as the nation's leader in firearm education and training for law-abiding gun owners, law enforcement and the armed services. In supporting Attorney General Van Hollen, Chris W. Cox, Chairman of the National Rifle Association Political Victory Fund (NRA-PVF) expressed, “As Attorney General, J.B. Van Hollen has been a champion of gun owners, hunters and sportsmen in Wisconsin. His consistent support for the Second Amendment has earned J.B. an 'A' rating, as well as the endorsement of the NRA-PVF.” “I am grateful for the continued support of the NRA. As an NRA member, I know the importance of the NRA’s advocacy on behalf of Second Amendment rights. As Attorney General, I know that the NRA’s mission in promoting the safe and responsible use of firearms helps to keep our communities safe,” Van Hollen said. Attorney General Van Hollen is also currently endorsed by: • 62 sheriffs • 50 district attorneys • The Wisconsin Professional Police Association • The Milwaukee Police Association • The Wisconsin Sheriffs and Deputy Sheriffs Association • The National Association of Police Organization • The International Union of Police Associations • The Wisconsin Troopers Association • The Wisconsin Realtors Association • The Wisconsin Builders Association • The Tavern League of Wisconsin • The Wisconsin Dairy Business Association --30-- Mon, 27 Sep 2010 12:34:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=29241&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=29241&mname=Article FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 23, 2010 CONTACT: Darrin Schmitz, (608) 661-0777 WISCONSIN DAIRY BUSINESS ASSOCIATION ENDORSES VAN HOLLEN FOR ATTORNEY GENERAL (MADISON, WI.) – Attorney General, J.B. Van Hollen announced today the endorsement of the Wisconsin Dairy Business Association (DBA) for his campaign for reelection. The DBA’s mission is to promote the growth and success of all dairy farms in Wisconsin by fostering a positive business and political environment. The DBA is comprised of dairy producers, vendors, and other professionals who are dedicated to ensuring that the dairy industry remains a fundamental aspect of the state’s economy and continues to positively impact communities around Wisconsin. DBA president Jerry Meissner indicated, “Attorney General Van Hollen has the background and experience needed to maintain the high quality of law enforcement this office has been recognized for under his leadership.” DBA Executive Director, Laurie Fischer commented that “J.B. uses experience gained as district attorney in two rural counties in Wisconsin. He recognizes the unique circumstances that take place in urban areas, as well as rural farm communities.” Fischer continued, “We support J.B. Van Hollen because his office has been a vigilant watchdog protecting the people of the State of Wisconsin.” “Dairy farmers and the dairy industry as a whole represent the backbone of Wisconsin’s economy and are symbols of our state’s rich heritage as ‘America’s Dairyland.’ I am grateful to have the support of the Wisconsin Dairy Business Association, and I am proud that our efforts in the Department of Justice to maintain a consistent and dependable legal environment have positively impacted the agricultural industry in our state,” Van Hollen said. Attorney General Van Hollen is also currently endorsed by: • 62 sheriffs • 50 district attorneys • The Wisconsin Professional Police Association • The Milwaukee Police Association • The Wisconsin Sheriffs and Deputy Sheriffs Association • The National Association of Police Organization • The International Union of Police Associations • The Wisconsin Troopers Association • The Wisconsin Realtors Association • The Wisconsin Builders Association • The Tavern League of Wisconsin --30-- Thu, 23 Sep 2010 14:49:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=29212&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=29212&mname=Article FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 21, 2010 CONTACT: Darrin Schmitz, (608) 661-0777 TAVERN LEAGUE OF WISCONSIN ENDORSES VAN HOLLEN FOR ATTORNEY GENERAL (MADISON, WI.) – Attorney General, J.B. Van Hollen announced today the endorsement of The Tavern League of Wisconsin. A non-profit trade association, the Tavern League strives to serve the beverage and hospitality industry of Wisconsin. The Tavern League is comprised over 5,000 members, including tavern owners, bar employees and affiliated members. The Tavern League represents its members’ interests to Wisconsin state government, provides legal information, education services and promotes the industry around the state. In a letter of support, Tavern League President, Rob Swearingen, indicated that the Tavern League of Wisconsin Board of Directors unanimously voted to endorse Van Hollen to continue as Wisconsin Attorney General. Swearingen wrote, “This election is very important to our members, and they understand that the people who are sent to Madison are people who can have a great effect on our small businesses. Having someone that understands the problems confronting small business is essential to the survival of our small mom and pop taverns. Tavern League members are committed to electing representatives who realize that taverns provide family-supporting jobs and are a critical piece of the Wisconsin economy.” “The Tavern League represents some of the hardest working people in the state of Wisconsin and their support demonstrates that our commitment to fighting crime and restoring integrity to state government has positively impacted the business community of our state,” Van Hollen said. Van Hollen continued, “Members of the Tavern League are found in nearly every single community, and I am heartened to know that our successes at the Department of Justice have reached local municipalities throughout Wisconsin.” Attorney General Van Hollen is also currently endorsed by: • 62 sheriffs • 50 district attorneys • The Wisconsin Professional Police Association • The Milwaukee Police Association • The Wisconsin Sheriffs and Deputy Sheriffs Association • The National Association of Police Organization • The International Union of Police Associations • The Wisconsin Troopers Association • The Wisconsin Realtors Association • The Wisconsin Builders Association --30-- Tue, 21 Sep 2010 09:38:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=29197&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=29197&mname=Article FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 9, 2010 CONTACT: Darrin Schmitz, (608) 661-0777 WISCONSIN BUILDERS ASSOCIATION ENDORSES VAN HOLLEN FOR ATTORNEY GENERAL (MADISON, WI.) – Attorney General, J.B. Van Hollen announced today the endorsement of the Wisconsin Builders Association (WBA). Consisting of 25 local associations across the state, the Wisconsin Builders Association represents more than 6,500 member companies involved in residential and light commercial construction, development, and remodeling. The WBA also represents sub-contractors, suppliers, manufacturers, lenders and other businesses associated with the homebuilding industry. The WBA advocates on behalf of the homebuilding industry to state government in Wisconsin. In a letter of support WBA President, James Kubasta said, “You have demonstrated leadership in the Wisconsin Department of Justice and we are proud to support your continued efforts. Public safety is important to the communities in which we live. Wisconsin's builders understand this and support your commitment and demonstrable successes to enhance public safety. As well, a reliable and predictable legal climate is vital to economic stability and importantly today, growth.” The letter continued, “Your commitment to public safety and the rule of law has been a hallmark of your tenure as Attorney General. We support your efforts as the state’s attorney and we welcome the predictability and impartiality demonstrated by your agency. As representatives of the homebuilding industry in Wisconsin, we appreciate this consistent legal climate under your leadership.” “The homebuilding industry is vital to a robust economy in Wisconsin and essential to the growth of our communities, and I am proud to have earned their support,” Van Hollen said. Van Hollen continued, “The endorsement of the WBA represents the positive impacts on the business community in Wisconsin that we have achieved by championing the rule of law in the Wisconsin Department of Justice.” Attorney General Van Hollen is also currently endorsed by: • 62 sheriffs • 50 district attorneys • The Wisconsin Professional Police Association • The Milwaukee Police Association • The Wisconsin Sheriffs and Deputy Sheriffs Association • The National Association of Police Organization • The International Union of Police Associations • The Wisconsin Troopers Association • The Wisconsin Realtors Association • Wisconsin Right to Life • Pro-Life Wisconsin --30-- Thu, 09 Sep 2010 14:17:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=29030&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=29030&mname=Article FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 6, 2010 CONTACT: Darrin Schmitz, (608) 661-0777 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF POLICE ORGANIZATIONS ENDORSE VAN HOLLEN FOR ATTORNEY GENERAL (MADISON, WI.) – Attorney General, J.B. Van Hollen formally announced today, the endorsement of the National Association of Police Organizations (NAPO) for his campaign for reelection. As a coalition of police unions and associations, the NAPO stands as a leader in the law enforcement community, representing 2,000 police units and associations, 241,000 sworn law enforcement officers, 11,000 retired officers and more than 100,000 citizens who share a common dedication to fair and effective crime control and law enforcement. In a letter of endorsement, NAPO Executive director, William J. Johnson wrote, “NAPO is pleased to support your campaign and is confident of your support of Wisconsin’s law enforcement community.” “I am honored to receive the endorsement of the National Association of Police Organizations and I am committed to continuing to work with Wisconsin’s law enforcement officials to make Wisconsin safer,” Van Hollen said. “The brave men and women on the front lines of law enforcement are the true champions of public safety and I am proud to stand with them.” Van Hollen continued. Attorney General Van Hollen is endorsed by 62 sheriffs and 50 district attorneys from across Wisconsin, including Democrats and Republicans. Van Hollen is also endorsed by the Wisconsin Professional Police Association, Milwaukee Police Association, the Wisconsin Sheriffs and Deputy Sheriffs Association, the International Union of Police Associations, the Wisconsin Troopers Association, and the Wisconsin Realtors Association. --30-- Fri, 06 Aug 2010 15:25:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=28697&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=28697&mname=Article FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 6, 2010 CONTACT: Darrin Schmitz, (608) 661-0777 INTERNATIONAL UNION OF POLICE ASSOCIATIONS AFL-CIO ENDORSES VAN HOLLEN (MADISON, WI.) – Attorney General, J.B. Van Hollen formally announced today the endorsement of the International Union of Police Associations (IUPA). Providing services and representation to more than 100,000 active and retired law enforcement officers nationally, the IUPA is regarded as the only union exclusively for law enforcement officers. The IUPA is one of the most influential voices of the law enforcement community in legal, legislative, educational, and labor issues. In a letter of support, IUPA International President, Sam A. Cabral said, “In 2006 we were confident that your vast experience as a public defender a prosecutor, as well as a United States Attorney and District Attorney, had certainly prepared you to fulfill the duties of the Office of Attorney General. We were also convinced that your long record of good judgment, common sense, and knowledge, coupled with your demonstrated integrity and straight talk would benefit you, the officers who provide for the public’s safety and, most importantly, the citizens of Wisconsin in your role as the chief law enforcement officer in the state. We have not been disappointed.” The letter continued, “We know that you have already proven yourself to be the best person for this trusted position, and our members in Wisconsin look forward to working with you and your staff long into the future.” “I am honored to have once again earned the endorsement of the International Union of Police Associations, and I will continue to ensure that Wisconsin’s top priorities include public safety,” Van Hollen said. “I am proud to stand with frontline law enforcement officers and I appreciate their confidence in me and their support of the job we have done in fighting crime and restoring integrity to the Wisconsin Department of Justice.” The IUPA also endorsed Van Hollen in 2006, during his first election as Attorney General. Van Hollen is currently endorsed by 62 sheriffs and 50 district attorneys from across Wisconsin, including Democrats and Republicans. Van Hollen is also endorsed by the Wisconsin Professional Police Association, Milwaukee Police Association, the Wisconsin Sheriffs and Deputy Sheriffs Association, the National Association of Police Organization, the Wisconsin Troopers Association, and the Wisconsin Realtors Association. --30-- Fri, 06 Aug 2010 15:23:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=28696&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=28696&mname=Article FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 5, 2010 CONTACT: Darrin Schmitz (608) 661-0777 WISCONSIN TROOPERS ASSOCIATION ENDORSES VAN HOLLEN (MADISON, WI.) – Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen announced today, the endorsement of the Wisconsin Troopers Association (WTA). The Wisconsin Troopers Association is a non-profit organization comprised of active and retired Wisconsin state troopers, inspectors, division supervisors, and police communication officers. Their mission is to support law enforcement initiatives and sponsor public safety programs that benefit the community. In a letter of endorsement, WTA President, Glen Jones, wrote, “Your record during your first term as Attorney General has demonstrated your dedication to supporting law enforcement officers and we are grateful for your efforts. Under your leadership, the Department of Justice has established a strong partnership with the Troopers’ Association to provide expertise in evidence collection and crime scene mapping, and we look forward to expanding this relationship.” The letter continued, “You have a distinguished record of increasing public safety in Wisconsin and you have followed through on your commitments to law enforcement. We look forward to working with you during your second term.” “I am truly honored to have earned the support of the Wisconsin Troopers Association. Together, we have built strong relationships in increasing public safety in Wisconsin,” Van Hollen said. “Their recognition of my candidacy validates our record of achievement and I appreciate their confidence in our efforts,” Van Hollen continued. Attorney General Van Hollen also received the endorsement of the Wisconsin Troopers Association in 2006. Additionally, he is currently endorsed by 62 sheriffs and 50 district attorneys from across Wisconsin, including Democrats and Republicans. Van Hollen is also endorsed by the Wisconsin Professional Police Association, Milwaukee Police Association, the Wisconsin Sheriffs and Deputy Sheriffs Association, the International Union of Police Associations, the National Association of Police Organizations, and the Wisconsin Realtors Association. --30-- Thu, 05 Aug 2010 16:03:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=28682&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=28682&mname=Article AG Leads in Fundraising and Bi-partisan Law Enforcement and Prosecutor Endorsements (MADISON, WI…) Wisconsin Attorney General JB Van Hollen’s campaign raised more than $206,000 in the last fundraising period and has filed his June 30th Finance Report with the Government Accountability Board. Van Hollen outraised his opponent by a 2-1 margin and holds a nearly 3-1 cash-on-hand advantage heading into the fall. The campaign filed with nearly $350,000 cash-on-hand. “Attorney General Van Hollen continues to garner overwhelming support both financially and through the endorsements of community leaders.” Van Hollen’s campaign manager, Chirag Shah, said. “It is because of J.B.’s remarkable record of accomplishment and dedication to public safety that voters and law enforcement officials know that J.B. is the right choice to continue to lead the Wisconsin Department of Justice,” Shah continued. “Attorney General Van Hollen has followed through on his campaign pledges to eliminate the backlog of DNA evidence in the state crime labs, take child molesters off of our streets, and remove criminal illegal aliens from our communities; it is for these reasons, J.B. Van Hollen is law enforcement’s choice for Attorney General.” Attorney General Van Hollen enjoys unprecedented bi-partisan support from law enforcement officials, associations, unions, and frontline officers. Van Hollen’s law enforcement endorsements include: 62 Wisconsin Sheriffs (Democrats and Republicans) 50 Wisconsin District Attorneys (Democrats and Republicans) The Milwaukee Police Association The Wisconsin Professional Police Association The Wisconsin Sheriffs and Deputy Sheriffs’ Association National Association of Police Organizations The International Union of Police Associations                                                                                                                     --30-- Tue, 20 Jul 2010 09:25:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=28550&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=28550&mname=Article Two more Milwaukee residents have been charged by the state's Election Fraud Task Force with voting in the 2008 presidential election while still on probation for felonies. David Lewis, 39, and Ramon Martinez, 50, each face a single count of voting by a disqualified person. In addition, Lewis is charged with providing false information to election officials. Lewis was on probation for a 2004 conviction for failure to support a child. Martinez, 50, was convicted of theft from a business and had been sentenced just a month before the Nov. 4, 2008, election, according to the complaint. He was working to register other voters when his probation officer reminded him he couldn't vote, the complaint states. Each offense is punishable by up to 3 ½ years in prison. Also Tuesday, a Milwaukee couple charged in March with voting twice in the 2008 presidential election were bound over for trial after a preliminary hearing. Herbert and Suzanne Gunka each voted absentee about a week earlier, but on election day also visited their local polling place. When they didn't see their names marked in the poll book as having voted absentee, they've said, they became convinced their first votes had not been counted, and voted again. Click here to view the story on the Journal Sentinel website. Tue, 22 Jun 2010 19:51:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=28216&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=28216&mname=Article (MADISON, WI.) – Attorney General, J.B. Van Hollen announced today the endorsement of the Wisconsin Realtors Association in his bid for reelection. Providing services and representation to more than 14,000 members statewide, the Wisconsin Realtors Association (WRA) is one of the largest trade associations in Wisconsin. WRA serves sales agents, brokers, appraisers, inspectors, attorneys, loan officers, and legislators throughout Wisconsin. In a letter of support, WRA spokesman Mike Theo said, “J.B.’s experience gives him the knowledge to properly balance the private rights of individual property owners with the public rights of all Wisconsin citizens to a clean environment and thoughtful, balanced growth and development.” The endorsement letter continues,” We salute J. B. Van Hollen for his last four years as Wisconsin’s Attorney General and proudly endorse his re-election to another term as Wisconsin’s top law enforcement officer.” “I am honored to have the endorsement of the Wisconsin Realtors Association and will continue to ensure that Wisconsin’s legal climate respects property rights and invites businesses to grow and prosper,” Van Hollen said. “Realtors across Wisconsin are part of the foundation of our communities and I am proud that the Wisconsin Realtors Association is standing with us.” Van Hollen is endorsed by 61 sheriffs and 50 district attorneys from across Wisconsin, including Democrats and Republicans. Van Hollen is also endorsed by the Wisconsin Professional Police Association, Milwaukee Police Association and the Wisconsin Sheriffs and Deputy Sheriffs Association. --30-- Click here to read the endorsement statement from the Wisconsin Realtors Association. Tue, 04 May 2010 12:05:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=27357&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=27357&mname=Article By Aaron Diamant, TMJ4 The state's top cop calls "fake pot" a real problem and wants lawmakers to take action. Attorney J.B. Van Hollen's call comes after a big I-Team investigation found Wisconsin turning a blind eye to a "legal high." The scariest part, more and more teenagers in our area are smoking this stuff. It's cheap, easy to find, and, doctors say, very dangerous. Now, Van Hollen wants it gone -- a blend of dried leaves sprayed with a synthetic THC, the chemical in marijuana that gets you high. It's sold legally online and in head shops, most often, under the name K2. "There may be parents who are watching their children using these substances thinking nothing of it, because they don't know that they're necessarily bad," Van Hollen said. Researchers at the Medical College of Wisconsin say the mind-altering chemicals in K2 are made in clandestine labs with no standards, or safeguards. "It is very frightening." said MCW toxicologist Cecillia Hillard. "For one thing, you don't even know from batch to batch. You could have one batch and use it and have one effect, and the next day buy another package of this stuff and have three times as much." Van Hollen says he's most concerned that police can't stop kids from smoking it. "We need to make sure that we have the tools as law enforcement agencies to be able to eradicate, or at least minimize, the negative impact it has on our youth.," Van Hollen said. "Every study shows, that marijuana is an entry-level drug, and most of the people who are on other drugs have gotten there because they have used marijuana, and they want to step up to the next better thing. This K2 could be just like that." Click here to read the story on the TMJ4 website. Tue, 04 May 2010 12:03:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=27360&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=27360&mname=Article As DNA becomes more valuable for linking suspects to crimes, it's important that the state crime lab and law enforcement work together so the backlog does not reappear. Technology is a wonderful thing - if you can use it. Now it appears Wisconsin is finally using one of law enforcement's best crime-fighting tools to the best of its ability. This, thanks to the elimination of the DNA backlog. Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen deserves credit for tackling this issue head-on. When he took office at the start of 2007, nearly 1,800 criminal cases awaited DNA testing. Van Hollen determined that more analysts were needed. DNA processing at the state crime lab increased nearly 90% from 2003 to 2006, and the lab technicians could not keep up. Through bipartisan support, Van Hollen was able to secure funding for 31 new lab technicians. After everyone was brought up to speed, the caseload started to come down and the backlog was eliminated. The crime lab and law enforcement agencies need to continue to work together to improve efficiencies to keep caseloads manageable. We hope that eliminating the backlog gives new life to cold cases. Law enforcement agencies also should rest assured that felons who are already in prison and have their DNA in the state database can be linked to previously unsolved crimes. At many crime scenes, fingerprints and DNA evidence are left. Fingerprints can place a suspect at a scene of the crime, but DNA is even more identifying. DNA can be found in a person's blood, saliva, hair and skin. This DNA fingerprint not only can place a suspect at a crime scene but, in violent crimes, can even prove a person's involvement - or innocence. DNA collection can be improved. The Assembly sent to Gov. Jim Doyle a measure that would require felons to submit DNA samples missing from a state database even if they have already served their sentences. Such a move could further close the gap in the state's records. Through a series of mishaps, some 12,000 DNA samples were not placed into the database. Doyle should sign this bill. Eliminating the backlog and expanding the database can mean putting dangerous people away. It gives law enforcement one more tool to link suspects to other crimes, some crimes that have been cold for years. Let's use DNA technology to society's fullest advantage. Click here to read the editorial on the Journal Sentinel website. Tue, 27 Apr 2010 16:53:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=27309&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=27309&mname=Article AG Announces Bid for Re-election with Overwhelming Bi-partisan Law Enforcement Support [Milwaukee]— Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen today officially announced his campaign for reelection. Kicking off his state-wide tour at the Milwaukee Police Association headquarters and joined by law enforcement officials and community members, Van Hollen highlighted his bi-partisan support from by 61 sheriffs and 50 district attorneys from all parts of Wisconsin. In addition, Van Hollen unveiled endorsements by the Milwaukee Police Association, Wisconsin Professional Police Association and the Wisconsin Sheriffs and Deputy Sheriffs’ Association. Van Hollen thanked these groups and indicated that their support stemmed from the extensive accomplishments of the Department of Justice during his first term in office. “We are proud to endorse J.B. Van Hollen to continue as Wisconsin’s Attorney General because he understands the challenges that police officers face every day and he has been a leader in promoting law enforcement and public safety,” said Milwaukee Police Association President Mike Crivello. Since taking office in 2007, Attorney General Van Hollen has championed the rule of law and has tirelessly worked to take criminals off of the streets. Determined to increase the productively and improve the image of the Department of Justice, Van Hollen ran on a platform to fight crime and restore integrity. Attorney General Van Hollen has kept his campaign pledges by eliminating the backlog of DNA evidence in the Wisconsin Crime Laboratories, fighting online sex predators, cracking down on voter fraud, taking criminal illegal aliens out of our communities, and protecting Wisconsinites’ Second Amendment rights. “J.B. Van Hollen has been dedicated partner of law enforcement and Wisconsin is safer under his leadership,” said Ozaukee County Sheriff and President of the Wisconsin Sheriffs and Deputy Sheriffs Association, Maury Straub. In running for reelection, Van Hollen said, “I am pleased by our successes over the past four years, and I remain committed to preserving the rule of law and protecting the people of our great state during my second term.” Mon, 26 Apr 2010 10:09:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=27282&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=27282&mname=Article Eau Claire (WQOW) - Just weeks after a meth bust in Dunn County, the state's top cop makes a stop in the Chippewa Valley. Two weeks ago an active meth lab was found at a Menomonie business. Four people were arrested. Wisconsin Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen says the number of meth labs in western Wisconsin has dropped the past few years, but says meth users are now finding different ways to make the drug. "There's a new methodology for creating meth at home that is really increasing and it's really catching on and it's a method where they're just making it in a bag. Its something that's very simple to do and unfortunately because of that we're finding an increase in the homemade production of methamphetamine," says Van Hollen. We don't know if this was the method the suspects were allegedly using to make meth at the Menomonie business. Van Hollen says another drug, heroin, is also becoming more widely used across the state. WQOW News 18 asked him about health care reform. A few weeks ago Van Hollen asked lawmakers and the governor to join a lawsuit opposed to the health care reform bill signed into law by President Barack Obama in March. The governor rejected the effort. Van Hollen claims that requiring all citizens to have health care coverage is unconstitutional. He says as long as he's attorney general and the lawsuit has merit, he'll fight to join it. "The part of the federal law that we believe is most egregiously unconstitutional doesn't go into effect until early 2014. Obviously, with lawsuits that have already started around the nation we could join and with the long time we have between now and that part of the law is initiated or implemented, we have plenty of opportunity to still get involved in litigation," says Van Hollen. More than a dozen states are part of the lawsuit. Van Hollen is up for re-election this year. He's being challenged by Scott Hassert, a democrat from Lake Mills. As you know the Governor Jim Doyle, who rejected his request to join the lawsuit, is not running for re-election. Van Hollen was on his way to Barron County to meet with students and parents to talk about online predators. Since he took office, the number of agencies belonging to the 'Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force' has grown from 22 to 137. Click here to read the story on the WQOW website. Mon, 19 Apr 2010 08:56:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=27311&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=27311&mname=Article Watch the latest news video at video.foxnews.com Thu, 08 Apr 2010 12:10:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=26998&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=26998&mname=Article Sun, 28 Mar 2010 19:07:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=26803&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=26803&mname=Article Thu, 25 Mar 2010 20:57:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=26780&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=26780&mname=Article Thu, 25 Mar 2010 18:07:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=26779&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=26779&mname=Article Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen announced his desire to bring a lawsuit against the Obamacare plan on Midday with Charlie Sykes.  Click here to listen to the podcast from 620 WTMJ. Thu, 25 Mar 2010 14:55:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=26773&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=26773&mname=Article By Elizabeth Braun, Michael George, TMJ4 MADISON - There's a new push to strengthen punishment for predators who target children online. Loopholes in the current laws often mean offenders only get a slap on the wrist. Attorney General JB Van Hollen and state Representative Tony Staskunas (D-West Alls) introduced a bill that would dramatically increase sentences for child predators, even if those people don't actually harm a child. The bill aims to double penalties for trying to meet children for sex. Van Hollen says, "There is nothing different in their actions when they're reaching out to someone they believe is a child, than when they're actually reaching out to a real child. We believe they should be punished accordingly." Defense Attorney James Shellow, however, argues the law punishes people for what they would have done, rather than what they actually did. "Because the penalties are so enormous now for what may be marginal or even innocent behavior, it's just going to be very difficult for a defendant to tell a judge, 'I want to plead guilty for something like this." Supporters say the bill will only target predators who intend to have sex with children. The legislation will be discussed next week in Madison. Click here to view the story on TMJ4's website. Fri, 12 Mar 2010 11:57:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=26800&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=26800&mname=Article Two men from the Green Bay area have been charged with felony possession of child pornography in separate investigations. On Sept. 16, police executed a search warrant at Custom Equipment Engineering Corp. in Bellevue and found sexually explicit images of children on a computer hard drive in the office of Andrew VandenBusch, according to a news release from Wisconsin Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen. VandenBusch, 32, of Luxemburg admitted to downloading the images out of curiosity. He will make an initial appearance March 23 in Brown County Circuit Court. In a separate investigation, Ashwaubenon officers and state investigators executed a search warrant Jan. 22 at the Ashwaubenon home of Joshua Yelland, 28.   Sexually explicit videos of children were located on computer hard drives, and Yelland admitted to having downloaded the videos, according to the criminal complaint. Yelland will make an initial appearance March 25 in Brown County Circuit Court. Click here to view the story on the Green Bay Press Gazette website. Sat, 27 Feb 2010 14:31:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=26382&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=26382&mname=Article MADISON - A just-concluded roundup of illegal aliens resulted in 49 arrests from communities that include Medford, Stratford, Altoona, Dorchester, Edgar, Wittenberg, Spencer, Loyal, Merrill, Antigo, Plover, Mosinee, Abbostford and Marathon City. "This operation undertaken through the heart of our state shows the depth and breadth of the threat to Wisconsin communities, big and small, urban and rural, posed by criminal illegal aliens," Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen said. "Our cooperative efforts are yielding results that make our state safer." Among the criminal histories of those taken into custody are fourth-degree sexual assault, carrying a concealed weapon, possession of cocaine, multiple OWI's, possession of methamphetamine, felony fraud and unlawful re-entry to the United States, Van Hollen said. Click here to read the story on the Eau Claire Leader Telegram website. Fri, 26 Feb 2010 14:34:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=26383&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=26383&mname=Article By Andrew Beckett, Wisconsin Radio Network Wisconsin Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen says the obligation of an offender to submit a biological specimen for the state DNA database does not expire. In a letter to the Department of Corrections, Van Hollen says the agency also has the right to try to collect the sample, even if an offender is no longer in prison or under supervision. The Attorney General says prosecution is possible for those who fail to comply. Van Hollen says the DOC should urge voluntary cooperation to collect samples that may have been missed while the offender was an inmate. He’s also urging a change in state law that would make it easier to compel DNA submissions without resorting to criminal proceedings. The letter comes after a Justice Department audit found nearly 12-thousand offenders are not in the state’s DNA database. Click here to view the story on the Wisconsin Radio Network website. Thu, 25 Feb 2010 15:45:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=26384&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=26384&mname=Article By Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen February 2010 has been declared "Teen Dating Violence and Awareness Month," the first time the U.S. Congress has designated an entire month to highlighting the importance of preventing and responding to teen dating violence. Teen dating violence, like its adult version, is the use of power and control that one teenager exerts over another in a dating relationship. The violence may be physical, sexual or emotional, and the effects can be devastating. According to research compiled by sources including the Family Violence Prevention Fund and the Centers for Disease Control, victims are more likely to use alcohol and drugs, perform poorly at school, attempt to commit suicide, and carry patterns of abuse into future relationships. The Family Violence Prevention Fund has also published statistics demonstrating the prevalence of teen dating violence. For example, reports reveal that one in three adolescent girls in the United States has been abused in a relationship. Of "tweens" aged 11-14 who have been in a dating relationship, almost two-thirds (62 percent) say they know peers who have been verbally abused by a partner. One in four teens (25 percent) reports having been harassed, insulted or threatened through the use of technology, such as texting, e-mailing or postings on social networking sites Let us raise our awareness of the dangers of teen dating violence which will allow us to respond, and respond better, when we become more aware of how adolescents are being abused. If you know of a teen who is being hurt, you can: •Report the abuse to child protection services or to law enforcement if you believe a crime has been committed. •Listen nonjudgmentally to the teen. •Be knowledgeable about available resources. •Recommend and assist with prudent courses of action. •Assist the teen in seeking out support at their schools, youth organizations, domestic violence organizations, or other community and medical resources. It is incumbent on all of us to be mindful of and pro-active in preventing teen violence as well. We should remain knowledgeable about and support safe school policies that integrate both victim safety and offender accountability. As the parent of two youngsters, one now a teen, I also know that we must be vigilant about technological threats aimed at our children and we must monitor our kids' cyber-social activity. Furthermore, we must model healthy and respectful relationships and let our teens know that they deserve no less. Click here to view the column on the Green Bay Press Gazette Website. Tue, 23 Feb 2010 14:25:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=26381&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=26381&mname=Article MADISON — A new Internet phishing scam is making the rounds in Wisconsin. Phishing is a scheme in which Internet scammers send consumers e-mails disguised as memos from well-known retailers, banks, credit card companies and government agencies, according to a press release from the Wisconsin Attorney General's Office. These unsolicited messages often convey a sense of urgency or warn of account termination. They encourage the consumer to click on their Web address which links directly to the Web site of the business or agency. Consumers are then redirected to a fake Web site that has probably been cut and pasted from the legitimate Web site. Subtle changes are made to these sham Web sites to lure consumers into entering sensitive information or to allow a computer virus to be downloaded. A phishing campaign has been detected designed to trick computer users into clicking on a malicious link. Clicking this link would cause a computer to become infected with the Zeus malware. The e-mails would have appeared to come from various governmental agencies. However, the actual Web site users are asked to click on is not a government (.gov) site. Opening phishing e-mails and clicking onto their counterfeit Web-links also poses the danger of infecting the computer with a virus. Some viruses contain spyware programs that can track personal computer use and monitor Web surfing. Hidden spyware programs can also covertly change computer settings, promote unwanted pop-up ads, cause your computer to malfunction, lose data and even crash. "It is important to use caution at all times while dealing with unsolicited e-mails," said Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen. "In the same way scammers use fake e-mails claiming to be from credit card companies, they now use e-mails claiming to be from government agencies. It is important to keep in mind that you cannot trust any unsolicited e-mails, even if it claims to be from the government." Any unexpected e-mails from the government asking for personal information should be thoroughly checked before response. Verify that e-mail addresses match those listed on official government agency Web sites, or call the agency in question. Reports of these scams can be made to the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection—Consumer Hotline at 1-800-422-7128. Click here to read the original story on the Fond du Lac Reporter website. Wed, 17 Feb 2010 10:33:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=26378&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=26378&mname=Article MADISON, Wis. (WTAQ) - The Wisconsin Assembly has voted to stop giving lesser penalties to child beaters than those who batter adults. Both types of offenders would get up to 10 years in prison under a bill that was sent to the Senate Tuesday night. The bill was inspired by the case of Michael Stoner – a Spooner man who pummeled his fiance’s 2-year-old daughter in 2007 to the point in which she needs a feeding tube, and cannot see or walk. In investigating the case, Washburn County Sheriff Terry Dryden found that the maximum penalty for causing great bodily harm was 2-and-a-half years less for child victims than for adults. State Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen said a bill to change that emerged after a roundtable he held with police and prosecutors in the Spooner area about a year-and-a-half ago. You might remember Stoner as the man whose car plunged in the Minneapolis bridge collapse. And he told reporters that he and his fiance heroically swam to shore so they could see young Emma Manning in a nearby hospital. But Stoner didn’t tell the nation that he battered the girl at their home earlier that day – and she was flown to the hospital. Stoner got 7-and-a-half years in prison and 5 years of extended supervision. The new bill requires child beaters to serve their full sentences, with no early release. That mandate was passed as an amendment on a 78 to 19 vote. Click here to read the story on the WTAQ website. Wed, 17 Feb 2010 10:30:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=26377&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=26377&mname=Article By WRN Contributor, Bob Nelson, KFIZ State and local investigators say a case involving alleged embezzlement by three employees of the Fond du Lac Management Information Systems Department is ongoing. The three are suspected of ordering items from an outside vendor and taking those items for personal use, then billing the city under fraudulent invoices for generic labor or services. Fond du Lac County District Attorney Daniel Kaminski says it went on for about a half decade and so far the cost of items taken could exceed over $100,000 in value. The investigation has involved Fond du Lac and North Fond du Lac Police and agents with the state’s Department of Justice. State Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen says it’s a good example of a cooperative investigation. The three employees have been placed on administrative leave with pay. No one has been charged yet and they were released after being questioned. Fond du Lac City Manager Tom Herre says city officials were shocked to learn about the alleged thefts. Kaminsky says it could be two to six weeks or more before criminal charges are filed. Click here to read the original story on the Wisconsin Radio Network website. Thu, 11 Feb 2010 10:40:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=26379&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=26379&mname=Article By Colby Robertson, WFXS Wausau MERRILL-- Often times, the victims of Internet crimes are children. This has Wisconsin's Attorney General asking law enforcement throughout the state to join in the fight against that problem. So far, more than a dozen area agencies have joined the task force. Merrill's Police Department joined the task force in December. Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen says they want to train agencies across the state so officers know how to go after pedophiles who use the Internet to prey on children. For nearly ten years Internet Crimes Against Children or ICAC has worked to protect children from predators. JB Van Hollen says, "We have statistics that show us that we have tens of thousands of pedophiles a year in Wisconsin alone using the Internet to pray on our children." That's why Van Hollen is asking local law enforcement to join the task force. It's an opportunity to work together and train agencies across the state teaching them how to get perpetrators off the street. The Merrill Police Department joined ICAC in December. Merrill Police Captain Ken Neff says, "Everyday I receive E-mails from other agencies in ICAC task force and they're asking questions about has anyone been involved in this kind of case or a specific name." For Neff and the Merrill Police Department joining ICAC is primarily about prevention and education. Capt. Neff says, "It's especially important for us to be aware of it as I said I think there are a lot of cases we're just not hearing about and through presentations to people, education, people will realize oh, this is a crime and they're not supposed to do that." As more agencies join in this effort across the state the more hope there is for a solution to this problem. Van Hollen says, "We have increased the number of law enforcement partners we have from 22 when I started to an excess of 125 now, so that is a great accomplishment. In the short term has helped our kids and in the long term has helped our community more." ICAC is funded through a grant and costs approximately $1,500 per agency. The Merrill Police Department also has a cyber committee that specifically deals with preventing their number one Internet crime - scams. They hope that joining ICAC will help with that effort. Click here to read the story on the WFXS website. Wed, 10 Feb 2010 10:44:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=26380&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=26380&mname=Article By Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen How do state criminal proceedings begin? District attorneys file criminal charges, but they do so typically on the basis of a signed and verified complaint by a law enforcement officer. In the typical case, a law enforcement officer or supervisor will prepare or help prepare the complaint, drive to the district attorney’s office, wait to meet with the district attorney or an assistant district attorney, take an oath, submit the signed document, and drive back. This process can take considerable time, particularly in counties with understaffed district attorney offices and large geographic areas. This is time that the officer could be spending on patrol or time paid for out of limited overtime budgets -- budgets that are better reserved for immediate public safety needs. One way to chip away at this inefficiency was raised at several county law enforcement roundtables that I’ve co-hosted with state legislators. If a criminal complaint could be sent to a district attorney in an electronic document with an “e-signature,” it would cut down on the time and travel needed to file a complaint with the district attorney -- and even allow officers equipped with a laptop and a cell phone to file a complaint from a scene. These efficiencies would multiply as computers become increasingly ubiquitous and mobile. The time spent now on unnecessary travel could increase an officer’s time on the street or cut down on overtime, saving taxpayer money without infringing on public safety or fairness. But to allow this requires a change to state law. Working with primary authors Rep. Gary Hebl, D-Sun Prairie, and Senator Bob Jauch, D-Poplar -- state legislators who attended law enforcement roundtables in their districts -- my office developed a bill to make this happen. That bill received a hearing Feb. 4 before the state Senate judiciary committee. It’s time we move our law into the 21st century and find a way to make your tax dollars do more work. I hope you take the opportunity to contact your legislators and explain to them just how this simple bill would assist Wisconsin’s law enforcement community. Click here to view the column on the Capital Times website. Sun, 07 Feb 2010 08:41:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=26385&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=26385&mname=Article By Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen I believe that public safety is the first priority of state and local government. This means having laws that protect citizens from those who would deprive us of our life, liberty, property and ability to pursue happiness. And it means having people to enforce those laws. Prosecutors are front-line public safety personnel. District attorneys and their assistants are responsible for evaluating, charging and prosecuting nearly all state criminal actions. Often, they also play a critical role in the investigation of complex crime. Homicides, drug trafficking, fraud, sexual assault, domestic violence. None of these crimes would be enforced — and justice cannot be served — without a prosecutor evaluating evidence, appropriately charging defendants and competently and fairly trying cases. In 2007, a Legislative Audit Bureau report (concluded based on a caseload analysis) that state prosecutor offices were 117 assistant district attorneys short. Since then, no serious move has been made to address the shortage. Instead, there have only been new responsibilities added on district attorneys by expanding criminal laws, such as the recently passed drunken driving bill; a bill that makes a number of positive policy changes, but fails to fully fund those changes. Law enforcement and prosecutors I've met with throughout the state describe the prosecutor shortage as a serious threat to the criminal justice system. The effects of the shortage can include delayed or less thorough review of complaints, increased incentives to plea and avoid trial, an inability to prosecute all meritorious cases and an inability to devote the individualized attention to certain cases as justice ideally requires. In addition, the shortage has contributed to high turnover and as less experienced prosecutors replace those who have left, the problems are intensified. That's why the recent news that the state prosecutors have received a layoff notice from the Department of Administration is deeply troubling. Layoffs will only further exacerbate the negative effects of a prosecutor shortage that threatens the state's ability to enforce criminal laws and do justice. These layoffs are the result of a failure to budget according to priorities — or a failure to prioritize public safety. According to the Legislative Fiscal Bureau, the two-year budget passed last summer increased state spending by 6.2% over fiscal year 2008 levels. The District Attorneys' budget was cut by 8.1%. That's not prioritizing core government functions. I believe that all government agencies, public safety or otherwise, should do what they can to become more efficient while maintaining effectiveness — as we've done at the Department of Justice. I agree with many who argue that government is too big and does too much. But all government is not of equal priority. Government cuts should start at government's excesses, not at its core. Click here to read the story on the Sheboygan Press website. Wed, 03 Feb 2010 11:08:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=26105&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=26105&mname=Article Sun, 17 Jan 2010 19:34:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=25802&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=25802&mname=Article MADISON — Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen announced that on January 15, 2010, an Oconto County jury convicted Larry Presby of repeated acts of sexual assault after a 5 day trial. The case was heard before Marinette County Circuit Court Judge Tim A. Duket. In 2005, Presby was convicted of first degree sexual assault of a child and sentenced to over 13 years in prison. The case was previously prosecuted by the Oconto County District Attorneys office, but the Wisconsin Department of Justice was appointed as Special Prosecutor after a mistrial. The single count of repeated acts of sexual assault is a Class B Felony and carries a term of imprisonment not to exceed sixty (60) years. Judge Tim A. Duket ordered a presentence investigation and will set the matter for sentencing. This case was prosecuted by Assistant Attorney General Dennis Krueger and was investigated by the Wisconsin Department of Justice's Division of Criminal Investigation. Click here to view the story on the WQOW-TV website. Sun, 17 Jan 2010 08:10:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=25698&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=25698&mname=Article "We are pleased to have you as a member of the Wisconsin ICAC Task Force and pledge our full support to you as we work together to make Wisconsin safer for our children," said Wisconsin Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen. As part of this affiliation, the Chetek Police Department is eligible for reimbursement to help fund ICAC-related expenses, including computer hardware and software; notification of and priority for ICAC-related training; investigative assistance from ICAC investigators and forensic computer analysts; access to the national ICAC e-mail group; and recognition on both the Chetek Police Department's Web site and on the Wisconsin Department of Justice Web site. Chief Mark Petersen said, "I am pleased that the Chetek Police Department now belongs to the Internet Crimes Against Children task force. We have always made the safety of our children a priority." To learn more about the ICAC Task Force program at the Chetek Police Department, contact Ray Parr at (715) 924-3686. Click here to view the story on the Chetek Alert website. Wed, 13 Jan 2010 07:59:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=25612&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=25612&mname=Article By Leader-Telegram Staff A 19-year-old UW-Eau Claire student faces 12 counts of possession of child pornography after being arrested Tuesday in Room 335 of Towers Hall North. Nicholas A. Grames was taken into custody after authorities served a warrant and searched the computer in the room. That search turned up sexually explicit images of children, according to a press release issued Wednesday by state Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen. According to authorities, Grames admitted possessing about 50 videos depicting underage girls involved in sex acts. Grames lived in the dorm room alone and was the only person to access his computer, the news release said. Grames was not currently enrolled as a student for the Winterim session at the University, and he is not employed, the release said. Grames was taken to the Eau Claire County Jail pending formal charges. Click here to view the story on the Eau Claire Leader-Telegram website. Wed, 13 Jan 2010 07:53:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=25680&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=25680&mname=Article By Jeff Starck Wausau Daily Herald MERRILL -- Merrill police say they will do a better job of tracking and prosecuting online sexual predators because of specialized computer training officers received and new participation in a state project that fights crimes against children. Merrill is the latest Wisconsin law enforcement agency to join the Wisconsin Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the Wisconsin Department of Justice announced this week. The task force investigates child pornography and cyber enticement cases and provides resources to law enforcement agencies for local investigations. Two Merrill officers recently were trained in forensic computer examinations, allowing the department to resolve computer crime cases itself instead of relying on the state Crime Lab or the Division of Criminal Investigation, said Merrill Police Investigator Patrick Wunsch. Wunsch, who is one of the two trained officers, said the department handles about six child pornography and solicitation cases a year. "We can do on-scene (analysis) and can determine within 30 minutes whether a person has what we are looking for instead of sending the computer to the state Crime Lab or DCI and waiting nine to 12 months," Wunsch said. A local investigation means crimes can be resolved much sooner, which saves law enforcement officials time and provides closure more quickly for the victims, Wunsch said. In a forensic computer exam, an exact duplicate of a computer hard drive is made at a possible crime scene without altering the original data, Wunsch said. The original is preserved for evidence while the investigator uses the duplicate for an in-depth search for e-mails, photos, videos and other evidence of crimes, he said. Merrill Police Capt. Ken Neff said many child solicitation cases involve people who live out of state and participation in the task force allows him to contact other agencies more quickly. During the past 10 years, Wisconsin's ICAC Task Force and affiliated agencies have arrested 678 suspects, executed 939 search warrants, and rescued countless children throughout the state, Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen said in a news release. There are more than 22,304 Internet protocol addresses in Wisconsin containing and offering to distribute known images of child pornography, Van Hollen said. One in seven children isasked online to engage in sexual activities, sexual talk, or provide personal sexual information, he said. More than 100 law enforcement agencies in Wisconsin belong to ICAC, including the Wausau Police Department. Click here to read the story on the Wausau Daily Herald website. Thu, 31 Dec 2009 21:17:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=25565&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=25565&mname=Article MADISON - Wisconsin has joined the legal battle against the invasive Asian carp. Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen filed a brief yesterday with the U.S. Supreme Court, in an effort to keep the dangerous carp out of the Great Lakes. The brief supports Michigan’s request to close two navigational locks at Chicago, on a canal which links Lake Michigan with the Mississippi River – where the Asian carp has eaten away at the food supply for native fish-and-plants. Minnesota and Ohio have also asked the Supreme Court to close the locks. The barge industry objects to the proposed closings, saying it uses the canal to send a billion-dollars worth of petroleum into Chicago each year. Other industries use the canal as well, and they say 400 jobs would be lost by even a brief shut-down. Also, Chicago would have to find another way to dump its waste-water – which now goes down the canal to keep sewage out of Lake Michigan. But Michigan and the other states say the Asian carp threatens the Great Lakes’ multi-million-dollar fishing industry. Van Hollen’s legal brief says the industry supports five-thousand Wisconsin jobs, and creates $400-million a year in economic activity for the state.   Click here to read the story on the Pierce County Herald website. Thu, 31 Dec 2009 21:12:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=25564&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=25564&mname=Article By Bob Hague, Wisconsin Radio Network A man convicted of killing his father and dumping his body in North Carolina has lost an appeal and request for a new trial. The 4th District Court of Appeals rejected all arguments made by the attorney for forty year-old Derek Anderson, who in 2006 was convicted of first-degree intentional homicide in the death of his father, and sentenced to life in prison. On appeal, Anderson argued that out-of-court statements from the Anderson’s mother and father to a friend and co-worker respectively should not have been admissible at trial. According to evidence presented at trial, Anderson’s mother read to her friend a letter Anderson had written that including language to the effect of: “If I ever get the money to come back to Wisconsin, I’ll do away with all of you.” Anderson’s mother, who also disappeared in the summer of 1998 along with Anderson’s father and brother, had expressed to her friend a fear for her life and family. Likewise, Anderson’s father had told a co-worker in April 1998 that his son had tried to kill him. When the co-worker asked Anderson’s father whether he’d told anyone and what he was going to do, Anderson’s father replied that at least he knew how he would die. His attorney, Tim Provis, said Anderson will appeal the case to the state Supreme Court. Anderson’s father, his mother, his brother and the family dog all disappeared from their rural Jefferson County home over the Fourth of July weekend in 1998. “Today’s decision affirms that Derek Anderson received a fair trial when the jury convicted him of killing his father,” said Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen, whose office handled the appeal for the state. “While nothing can bring back the Krnak family, some justice has been served. The investigators and prosecutors did an extraordinary job with a case that might have remained unsolved but for their dedication.” The remains of Anderson’s father, 55 year-old Allen Krnak, were discovered in December 1999 in North Carolina. The bodies of Anderson’s mother, Donna Krnak, and his brother, Thomas Krnak, have never been found. Prosecutors said they believed Anderson also disposed of their bodies in the same woods. Anderson changed his name from Andrew Krnak after his family disappeared. Click here to read the story on the Wisconsin Radio Network website. Wed, 30 Dec 2009 21:03:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=25563&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=25563&mname=Article By Bruce Vielmetti of the Journal Sentinel Student organizations at University of Wisconsin System schools that exercise government responsibilities must adhere to the state's open meetings and public records laws, according to an informal opinion from Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen. The opinion, issued Thursday, was in response to a request in April from journalism students at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Jonathan Anderson, former editor in chief of the UWM Post and one of the students who filed the request, said they were pleased Van Hollen recognized "the need to bring sunshine" to student governments. "The request asked for a framework in which to determine whether student governments are subject to the public records and open meetings laws, and we believe he has provided that," Anderson said. Van Hollen's opinion excluded student organizations that do not take the form of a "collective entity" such as a committee, council or representative assembly, and have not been assigned powers or duties of governance. The UWM students' request to Van Hollen noted that student government organizations allocate millions of dollars as well as formulate and review university policy, and yet have frequently tried to avoid compliance with state open government laws. Anderson and the UWM Post sued UWM last month over access to minutes, agendas and recordings of the Union Policy Board. UWM said release of the materials would violate federal student privacy laws. Its response to the lawsuit is due this month. Click here to see the story on the Journal Sentinel website. Thu, 17 Dec 2009 20:56:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=25562&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=25562&mname=Article Police have arrested a man after they found two dozen videos of child pornography on his computer. In early November, the Wisconsin Department of Justice and the Sparta Police Department served a search warrant at 1014 Long Court Road in Sparta. That's when police arrested Matthew R. Roberts. According to the criminal complaint, Roberts had viewed and received numerous videos of child pornography for the past eight years. Roberts was arrested for six counts of possession of child pornography. He was taken to the Monroe County Jail. Formal charges from the District Attorneys office are still pending. Click here to view the story on the WEAU-13 website. Mon, 30 Nov 2009 12:30:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=25182&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=25182&mname=Article WITI-TV, KENOSHA - A 53-year-old Kenosha man is expected to be charged with 20 counts of child pornography. But investigators say he didn't stop there. At a bail hearing Friday, details of what Wisconsin Department of Justice agents say they found in the man's apartment left many in court stunned. Agents found 21 firearms, mannequins of both children and adults, dolls, a memory card for a binocular camera that included hundreds of pictures of girls on Kenosha-area beaches, more than 100 DVDs of child porn, and framed pictures of children in sexual poses. When Dept. of Justice agents confronted the man about the search, he fainted twice. The second time the man fainted, he hit his head. He was taken to a hospital. Once there, police guarding him say they suspect told them he could have shot them if he wanted when they came to his door. A 500 gigabyte harddrive taken from the man's computer is now being analyzed. The suspect's bail is set at $50,000. Click here to view the story on the WITI-TV website. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:40:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=25183&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=25183&mname=Article A Marathon County judge ordered a $5,000 signature bond this afternoon for a Schofield man charged with five counts of possession of child pornography. Tyler H. Morris, 23, made an initial appearance today in Marathon County Circuit Court. Morris was arrested after agents with the Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation and the Everest Metro and Rothschild police departments conducted a search warrant at his home at 429 Moreland Ave. in Schofield, according to a Department of Justice news release. Marathon County Circuit Court Judge Vincent Howard ordered Morris to not have contact with children or to use computers or the Internet. Investigators found sexually explicit images of children during a search of two computer hard drives inside the home, police said. Morris admitted viewing child pornography and having downloaded child pornography onto his computer while viewing adult pornography, according to a criminal complaint. Click here to view the story on the Wausau Daily Herald website. Wed, 18 Nov 2009 12:50:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=25185&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=25185&mname=Article APPLETON — Further proceedings are set Thursday for an Appleton man accused of downloading and sharing child pornography. Bond was set at $10,000 when Jeremy J. Eckert, 25, was charged last week in Outagamie County Court with 10 counts of possession of child pornography and 10 counts of sexual exploitation of a child. Eckert’s computer was seized by agents of the state Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation during a Nov. 12 search of his residence. The search turned up more than 100 computer images of pre-pubescent girls. The images were downloaded using a file-sharing program that also allowed other computer users to obtain images off of Eckert’s computer. Click here to view the story on the Appleton Post Crescent website. Wed, 18 Nov 2009 12:44:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=25184&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=25184&mname=Article MADISON (WKOW) -- Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen announced on Monday that he and 31 other states reached a $3 million settlement with VONAGE, one of the nation's largest Internet-based phone service companies. The settlement comes after a two-year multi-state investigation led by the State of Wisconsin. Wisconsin will receive $408,000 from the settlement. The settlement, which becomes effective after the entry of a Consent Judgment by the Dane County Circuit Court, also requires VONAGE to make significant changes to its marketing practices and honoring of consumer cancellation requests. The settlement also requires VONAGE to provide extensive refunds to eligible consumers. "Companies who make representations about price and service need to make those representations clear and hold up their end of the bargain," said Wisconsin Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen. "Today's agreement with Vonage requires disclosures to prevent future communication breakdowns and ensures that consumers who are owed money are paid." The settlement addresses complaints where consumers alleged having difficulty or being unable to cancel their VONAGE service. VONAGE previously paid incentives to customer service representatives for retaining or "saving" customers instead of canceling services when consumers called to cancel. As a result, consumer reported that cancellation was extremely difficult and sometimes impossible. The new agreement puts strict limitations on the practice and requires recording and verification of these telephone calls. The settlement also addresses a number of other marketing practices, which have led to consumer confusion about the costs associated with VONAGE equipment and service. Specifically, VONAGE will be revising it disclosures regarding offers of "free" services, money back guarantees, and trial periods for services. The settlement also puts into place a broad restitution plan that requires VONAGE to refund money to eligible consumers who filed complaints with the Attorney General's office or Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection about unauthorized charges. Complaints made starting in January 2004 up until 120 days after the effective date of the settlement are eligible. Wisconsin residents who have not submitted complaints, but believe they are eligible for refunds should file a complaint by downloading a claim form or by completing one online by clicking here. Consumers can also call (608) 266-8940 Monday through Friday between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. to request a form by mail. The investigation of the case was led by Wisconsin and six other states including Connecticut, Illinois, Michigan, Oregon, Pennsylvania, and Texas. Other participants in the settlement include Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Missouri, Montana, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Vermont, Washington, West Virginia, and the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Assistant Attorney General Lara A. Sutherlin represented the State in this case. Investigative assistance was provided by the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection. Click here to view the story on the WKOW website. Mon, 16 Nov 2009 16:38:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=25090&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=25090&mname=Article WAUPACA - Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen announced today that attorneys for the Wisconsin Department of Justice, acting as special prosecutors for Waupaca County, filed a criminal complaint in Waupaca County Circuit Court against Rory A. Kuenzi of Weyauwega, Wisconsin. The criminal complaint charges Kuenzi with Hit and Run Resulting in Death and Homicide by Intoxicated Use of a Motor Vehicle in the October 23, 2004, death of Kevin McCoy, whose body was found just north of State Highway 54, in the town of Farmington, Waupaca County, Wisconsin. Investigators from the Wisconsin Department of Justice, in cooperation with the Waupaca County Sheriff’s Department, re-opened the investigation into McCoy’s death which led to the charges being issued. Also named in the complaint is Walter Engel who is charged with perjury for allegedly making false statements while under oath. The criminal complaint alleges that Kuenzi left an under age drinking party driving his S-10 truck south bound on Butts Road. According to the complaint, Kuenzi struck Kevin McCoy with his truck while McCoy was walking along the road. Kevin McCoy was killed immediately from the impact. Kuenzi, with the assistance of another, carried McCoy’s body off the road. Kuenzi then left that location without leaving any information concerning his identity, address, or registration number of his vehicle. Kuenzi did not render any assistance to McCoy. Witnesses at the party indicate Kuenzi was intoxicated when he left the party. Kuenzi’s initial appearance is scheduled for December 10 at 2 p.m. before Judge Philip Kirk. Click here to view the story on Fond du Lac Reporter website. Wed, 11 Nov 2009 16:41:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=25091&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=25091&mname=Article By Jackie Johnson, Wisconsin Radio Network When protecting citizens from Internet scams, officials say prevention is the key. It’s very difficult to recover from a phishing scam. The Wisconsin Justice Department stresses the importance of preventing yourself from getting duped in the first place. State Attorney General JB Van Hollen urges consumers to be vigilant and guarded when reading emails and surfing the Internet. “People should know that if bad things do happen with Department of Justice and prosecutors around the state will vigorously go after identity thieves, but we’ll likely never be able to make people whole again so, protecting themselves through vigilance is absolutely imperative because we can make the bad guys pay but that never makes the innocent victims whole again.” Van Hollen says the criminal justice system can investigate and prosecute phishing scammers, but prevention is the best way to avoid what could be a lifetime of stress. “These are pretty high-tech scams.” Cyber criminals use scare tactics to steal an unsuspecting consumer’s identity. Van Hollen warns not to give out any personal information unless you initiated the communication. Simply delete any suspicious emails, and you can report the scam to the state Consumer Protection Department. 800-422-7128. Click here to listen to the story on the Wisconsin Radio Network website. Tue, 10 Nov 2009 16:46:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=25092&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=25092&mname=Article By BILL NOVAK The Capital Times A crackdown on illegal immigrants with criminal histories resulted in 34 arrests over a two-week period in 11 Wisconsin cities, according to the Wisconsin Department of Justice. The arrests occurred between Oct. 13 and Oct. 23 in Milwaukee, Whitewater, Fort Atkinson, Beaver Dam, Jefferson, Kenosha, Neosho, Racine, Waukesha, Delavan, and Lake Geneva. Special agents from the DOJ worked with agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to do the sweep. "Criminal illegal aliens do not belong in Wisconsin," said state Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen in a news release announcing the arrests. "Our partnership (with ICE) continues to remove these threats to public safety and the neighborhoods and citizens they victimize." Alleged crimes committed by those arrested ranged from sexual assault of a child to cocaine dealing. Click here to read the story on the Capital Times website. Wed, 28 Oct 2009 10:48:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=25670&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=25670&mname=Article By Matt Smith, WBAY Thursday the state's "top cop" wrapped up a two-day conference for police statewide. For the past two days, police chiefs, sheriffs, and other law enforcement agents from around the state discussed the latest trends in policing. "We're all very busy. We meet each other out on the street as we work but not all at one time and the conference brings everyone together," Special Agent Bradley Kust of the Department of Justice's Division of Criminal Investigation said. "It's a rare opportunity talk about a bunch of different things," Assistant Attorney General Gary Freyberg said. The annual summit, hosted by the Wisconsin Attorney General, formulates new ideas and examples to help fight crime. This year's conference turned part of the focus to efforts to catch more online sexual predators. Presentations also targeted fraud, identity theft, officers returning to work from war, and an analysis of Scott Johnson's shootings in Niagara along the Wisconsin-Michigan state line. "In an era of tight budgets it's tempting to cut corners in law enforcement and prosecution resources. It's a bad idea," Freyberg said. This is the first time the conference was open to the public -- a move by the attorney general's office to bring more transparency at a statewide level. It's insight to how officers learn from each other. "What happens in the classrooms in these conferences, in the formal setting, a lot is learned but a lot happens, too, when we break and you meet people and talk about cases, talk about experiences," Kust said. Experiences these officers will bring with them as they head home. Click here to read the story on the WBAY website. Fri, 23 Oct 2009 21:09:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=24842&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=24842&mname=Article BARABOO – Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen announced today that on Friday, October 16, 2009 Dennis D. Lemoine, a Sauk County resident, age 25, was convicted of First Degree Sexual Assault of a 5-Year-Old Child by a Sauk County jury after more than four hours of deliberation on Friday evening. Lemoine was charged with having sexual contact with the girl at her home on April 23, 2007. The jury trial lasted 4 days. Judge Guy Reynolds presided over the trial. Judge Reynolds entered judgment on the verdict and revoked bail at the request of Assistant Attorney General Tom Fallon who prosecuted the case. Lemoine was remanded to the custody of the Sauk County Sheriff pending sentencing. The court ordered that a Presentence Investigative report be prepared to assist the court in determining the sentence. Lemoine’s case was originally prosecuted by the district attorney’s office; but upon the request of District Attorney Patricia Barrett, the Wisconsin Department of Justice reviewed the case and agreed to take over the prosecution of the case. Sentencing is expected to occur in 60 days. Assistant Attorney General Tom Fallon represents the state in this case. Click here to read the story on the NBC-15 website. Mon, 19 Oct 2009 21:05:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=24841&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=24841&mname=Article LANCASTER - The Wisconsin Department of Justice Cold Case Unit in cooperation with the Grant County Sheriffs Department and the Grant County District Attorneys Office worked together to bring to justice a murderer who took the life of Thomasina Dunivant on December 7, 1980. “This was a concerted and cooperative effort by my office and our law enforcement partners – in this case Grant County Sheriff Keith Govier and Grant County District Attorney Lisa Riniker - to get answers for Ms. Dunivant’s family. The result is a dangerous criminal who was eligible for parole is held accountable for this crime as well,” said Wisconsin Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen Gregory L. Otterbeck, currently serving a sentence of life imprisonment plus ten years for party to a crime in the sexual assault and strangulation death of Jodi Bausman on April 13, 1981 was sentenced today in Grant County Court by the Honorable Robert P. Vandehey after pleading no contest to Second Degree Murder in the death of Ms. Dunivant. Otterbeck was sentenced to 20 concurrent years in prison. Cold Case Investigators and Grant County Sheriff’s detectives worked side-by-side to identify other evidence and follow leads that proved Otterbeck was responsible for the death of Ms. Dunivant. Assistant Attorney General David Wambach served as special prosecutor in this case. Additional federal grant resources were sought and received by Attorney General Van Hollen to aid in solving cold cases. This case benefited from these resources. See information on the grant at http://www.doj.state.wi.us/absolutenm/anmviewer.asp?a=864&z=4. This case was featured as a part of Madison’s NBC affiliate WMTV Channel 15 and their Dana Brueck’s reporting on the Department of Justice’s Cold Case Unit and the efforts of local law enforcement to solve these crimes. Click here to read the story on the NBC-15 website. Fri, 09 Oct 2009 07:47:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=24542&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=24542&mname=Article MADISON - Adopting arguments made by attorneys from the Wisconsin Department of Justice, a federal judge on Tuesday denied convicted murderer Peter T. Kupaza’s petition for release from state prison. Wisconsin Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen applauded the decision. “This was a particularly brutal crime, and I’m pleased the federal district court found no grounds for his release,” said Van Hollen. “Kupaza’s life sentence is an appropriate punishment for his crimes.” In 2000, a Sauk County jury convicted Kupaza of murdering his cousin, Mwivano Mwambashi, dismembering her corpse and concealing it in the Wisconsin River. He received a life sentence in prison for the murder and a consecutive 5-year prison sentence for concealing Mwambashi’s corpse. After unsuccessfully challenging his convictions in Wisconsin state courts, Kupaza filed a petition for federal habeas corpus relief in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin. He alleged that his trial attorney failed to adequately challenge the testimony of a canine handler involved in the investigation. He also challenged the sufficiency of the evidence supporting his convictions, as well as the state courts’ conclusion that any error in admitting the canine handler’s testimony was harmless. Applying the standards governing federal review of state court decisions in criminal cases, United States District Judge C.N. Clevert, Jr., concluded that the state court decisions comported with federal constitutional law. Peter T. Kupaza remains incarcerated at the Dodge Correctional Institution in Waupun, Wisconsin. The Sauk County District Attorney’s Office prosecuted Kupaza in state circuit court. Assistant Attorneys General Gregory M. Weber and Sally L. Wellman represented the State of Wisconsin in Kupaza’s appellate and federal court proceedings. Click here to view the story on the WKOW website. Wed, 30 Sep 2009 10:42:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=24507&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=24507&mname=Article MADISON (WKOW) -- Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen's office filed a suit Thursday against the Athletic Club of Madison and its owner for allegedly violating a number of Wisconsin's consumer protection laws. The fitness club allegedly sold hundreds of memberships in early 2009, but it shut down abruptly on July 15 after it was sued for allegedly failing to pay rent. The complaint says that same day, the club accepted roughly $13,000 in automatic payments from its members Wisconsin law says a fitness center must refund its members their membership fees if it ceases operation, even if the membership was prepaid. The lawsuit claims the Athletic Club failed to do so. The complaint also alleges the Athletic Club continued to sell long-term, prepaid memberships even after it had been notified of its eviction. The state says the club did not inform consumers that it would likely close. The complaint asks the Court to demand the club pay full restitution to all affected members. It also asks the Court to impose forfeitures and penalties, ranging from $100 to $10,000 per violation. The Athletic Club opened its fitness center at 625 North Segoe Road in Madison in late 2008, according to the complaint. Click here to view the story on the WKOW website. Thu, 24 Sep 2009 15:35:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=24370&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=24370&mname=Article Madison, WI — Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen announced today that Shalonda Booth, 33, 4646 North 66th Street, Milwaukee, was sentenced on September 14, 2009 for a conviction of three counts of Theft in a Business Setting. Booth appeared before Judge Mariann Sumi and entered a guilty plea to all three counts. Prior to sentencing, Booth paid restitution in the amount of $30,247.74. The court imposed a $500 fine for each of the three counts. The charges stem from Booth’s employment as a Registered Nurse providing in-home care for a Medicaid recipient. Records show that Booth billed the State Medicaid Program for services that she never provided. During an interview with an Investigator from the Department of Justice, Booth admitted having falsified records to make it appear she had worked on days when she had not. The case was investigated by the Wisconsin Department of Justice’s Medicaid Fraud Control and Elder Abuse Unit and was prosecuted by Assistant Attorney General Frank Remington. Click here to find a copy of the story on the Racine News website. Tue, 15 Sep 2009 11:11:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=24252&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=24252&mname=Article By WLUK-TV TOWN OF MENASHA - Police agencies, community groups and pharmacies in the Fox Valley are teaming up to fight prescription drug abuse. The groups announced the “Good Drugs Gone Bad” campaign Thursday morning in the Town of Menasha. The Wisconsin Crime Prevention Practitioners Association said 36 people have died from drug-related deaths in the Fox Valley in the past year, of which 27 were the result of a pharmaceutical. The group also said there were eight armed robberies of Fox Valley pharmacies in 2007. "This is a serial killer we need to get off the streets," said Wisconsin Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen. A new trend among teens is to host "pharming" parties, in which kids try to take as many different colored pills as possible to see the effects. In addition, homes have been burglarized by thieves looking for prescriptions they can sell. "The crimes present a disturbing trend," said Officer Jason Weber of the Town of Menasha Police Dept. Karen Falck knows all about prescription drugs. Her son, Cory McNeil died of an overdose in October 2006, after having methadone, zanex, and liquid vicodin in his system. "He never go to learn from his mistake," said Falck, who now speaks to high schools about prescription drug abuse. She says it's important to get these drugs off the street. State Rep. Gary Sherman (D-74th District) is sponsoring a bill to create a drug registry in which drug dispensers like doctors and pharmacies would be mandated to input for whom and when a prescription is filled. The bill will be on the floor during the next session September 16. He said the money to set up the registry comes from a grant and no taxpayer dollars are involved. Sherman also said Wisconsin is one of only two states that don't already have a registry. Click here to read the story on the WLUK-TV website. Thu, 10 Sep 2009 10:47:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=24508&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=24508&mname=Article Tue, 08 Sep 2009 21:56:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=24047&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=24047&mname=Article Milwaukee – Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen today participated with Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm, Milwaukee Police Chief Edward Flynn and Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett to announce the unsealing of a criminal complaint in the arrest of Walter E. Ellis. This, authorities believe, resolves a series of serial killings in and around Milwaukee. District Attorney John Chisholm and Police Chief Edward Flynn praised the work of the State Crime Lab and the cooperative efforts of the Cold Case Task Force that moved the resolution of this case forward. “I commend the Milwaukee Police Department. The District Attorney’s Office, together with the Wisconsin Department of Justice’s tireless efforts allowed for the arrest in these series of crimes,” said Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen. The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by the Milwaukee Police Department with assistance from the Wisconsin Department of Justice’s cold case investigators and the Wisconsin Department of Justice’s State Crime Lab. The prosecution is being handled by District Attorney John Chisholm. “Prioritizing crime fighting and cooperative partnerships make our communities safer,” said Van Hollen. A defendant enjoys the presumption of innocence. The prosecution must prove its allegations at trial beyond a reasonable doubt. Click here to view the full story on the Racine News website. Tue, 08 Sep 2009 07:04:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=24055&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=24055&mname=Article By Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen As Attorney General, my role is often to assist those on the front lines of crime fighting. This means support from a number of Department of Justice operations, including investigative support from the Division of Criminal Investigation or State Crime Lab. It also means support in the courtroom. Identifying and arresting offenders is only the first step in the criminal justice system. Local law enforcement is on the front line in responding to criminal incidences and conducting most criminal investigations in Wisconsin. The second step is prosecuting offenders. The majority of criminal prosecutions at the state level are advanced by district attorneys’ offices. Together, police and prosecutors are critical front-line crime fighters. The third step in the criminal justice system is making sure charges with legal merit can be tried and that convictions already obtained are upheld. My office represents the State in felony appeals, whether the matter is a defendant’s appeal from a conviction or our affirmative request to review a circuit court’s dismissal of a charge or the suppression of key evidence. Our role is not only to preserve convictions, but also to support appropriate law enforcement techniques when those techniques are the subject of a constitutional challenge. Recently, the Wisconsin Supreme Court concluded its most recent term. During the term, the Attorney General’s office achieved significant victories in cases that upheld convictions or enabled a criminal prosecution to move forward. Some of these cases relaxed preexisting doctrines so as to better accommodate police investigatory needs. Others upheld the constitutionality of an important criminal statute, preserved a critical confession, and injected common sense in the application of legal principles in evaluating the propriety of a traffic stop. I believe that all of these decisions properly balanced individual rights with public safety- and the safety of responding officers. During this term, my office achieved a number of significant public safety victories. The following are just some of those successes this Supreme Court term: •State v. Kramer: The Court clarified the community caretaker doctrine. The Court held that it is permissible for a police officer to have an investigatory motivation for initiating contact with a subject under the community caretaker doctrine so long as the primary motivation was to render aid and assistance. This ruling clarified or overruled other previous cases that had suggested that any investigatory motivation, no matter how small, rendered the doctrine inapplicable. •State v. Ferguson: The Court extended the probable cause and exigent circumstances/ hot pursuit doctrine to include all jailable offenses. Previously the police could only make a warrantless, non consensual entry into a home with probable cause and exigent circumstances for a felony matter. This ruling allows for such a home entry when the police have probable cause/exigent circumstances of a misdemeanor offense. Naturally the police should temper their application of this new expansion of the exigent circumstance doctrine with common sense and best practices. •State v. Baron: The Court affirms the constitutionality of the Identity Theft Statute. While the Court concedes that under certain circumstances the application of the statute could impact freedom of speech, it held that the regulation is necessary to serve a compelling state interest and it is narrowly drawn to achieve that end. •State v. Ward: The Court held that a confession in a child death case was admissible, rejecting the defendant’s contention that her statements were involuntary and the product of police coercion. The Court reaffirmed the concept that once a suspect has agreed to talk to the police and an interrogation begins, there is no obligation on the part of the police to advise the suspect that a lawyer is available. •State v. Popke: The Court upheld a stop that ultimately resulted in an OWI conviction. The defendant argued that his alleged infraction was so minor, that it was not a sufficient basis for a traffic stop. The Court ruled that an infraction is an infraction regardless of its severity and thus a valid basis for a traffic stop. The police are not required to determine whether a violation of the traffic code is too minor or not- a violation is a violation. Public safety is the top priority of state and local government. At the Wisconsin Department of Justice (DOJ), we exist to assist law enforcement. This assistance includes disciplines as diverse as investigators, laboratory scientists, and lawyers. That’s how we fight crime and support public safety – by helping law enforcement and prosecutors. J.B. Van Hollen is Wisconsin’s Attorney General. Some of the cases referenced in this article involve pretrial appeals where no trial has occurred. An individual is presumed innocent until such time, if ever, that the government establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. Click here to access a copy of the column on the Wisconsin Rapids Tribune website. Sat, 05 Sep 2009 10:22:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=24028&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=24028&mname=Article By Patrick Wade Herald Times Reporter MANITOWOC — Bail was set Friday afternoon for Amy L. Kline, a 31-year-old Manitowoc resident accused of first-degree reckless homicide in connection with the 2007 drug overdose of John Michael Sciortino. Assistant Attorney General David Wambach argued for $10,000 cash bail, to which the court agreed. Kline was being held at the Manitowoc County Jail on Friday morning. Manitowoc police Detective Dave Vorpahl said the investigation has been ongoing since Sciortino's death, which a coroner ruled was a result of a mixture of alcohol and an overdose of the prescription drug methadone. Sciortino fell into a coma after Kline allegedly gave him methadone and asked him to take it, Wambach said during Friday's hearing. Sciortino died Aug. 1, 2007, a little more than a week after he fell into the coma. According to the criminal complaint, a witness told police that, the day before Sciortino died, Kline stated she "felt bad" because she gave him nine methadone pills. The methadone was a "substantial factor resulting in the death of Mr. Sciortino," Wambach said. Kline will make her initial appearance in court Monday. If convicted of the felony charge, she could face up to 40 years in prison. Manitowoc police Capt. Scott Luchterhand said prescription drug overdoses have been an increasing problem in Manitowoc during the past three to five years, and they "can't tolerate" it anymore. He said there have been about 20 prescription drugs overdoses in the city during that time. Luchterhand said the department is working with state Rep. Bob Ziegelbauer to get legislation at the state level to make sure prescription drugs are monitored more closely. Click here to access a copy of the story at the Manitowoc Herald Times website. Sat, 29 Aug 2009 08:49:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=23849&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=23849&mname=Article Madison, WI – Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen offered written testimony and registered in opposition to AB 353 which, among other proposed changes, would allow felons to vote while not incarcerated and before their sentence is complete. “Voting by felons diminishes victims, the law and the sentences judges hand down. It erodes a fundamental right reserved for citizens not serving a sentence resulting from a felonious criminal conviction. The collision of voter rights and felons’ rights, in this matter, is not a pretty picture,” said Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen. Taken from his written testimony, the Attorney General said “As a consequence of the serious nature of a felony, under current law, Wisconsin joins the majority of states in prohibiting a felon who is still serving his or her sentence from voting. Not only does the deprivation of this significant political liberty serve as punishment, it sends a strong and clear message that strikes at the heart of our democracy: so long as a felon is serving time for undermining the social compact, he or she may not participate in the political process by exercising the right to vote.” Attorney General Van Hollen wrote of his further concern for potential voter fraud connected with the proposal, increased burdens on the criminal justice system, judges and voting officials and unanswered technical issues of custody status not addressed in the bill. The bill received a hearing today before the Assembly Committee on Corrections and the Courts at the State Capitol in Madison. A copy of Attorney General Van Hollen’s written testimony is available at http://www.doj.state.wi.us/news/files/Testimony-Relating_to_Felon_Voting.pdf. You can find a copy of the story at the Racine News website by clicking here. Fri, 28 Aug 2009 11:07:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=23837&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=23837&mname=Article IT IS CUSTOMARY for the attorney general of Wisconsin to defend statutes passed by legislators when those laws are challenged in court. But state Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen — like his federal counterpart, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder — has both the independence and the expectation that he is to serve the law first and politics second. For Holder, that meant earlier this week defying his own boss, President Barack Obama, by deciding to proceed with an investigation into possible illegal acts of torture committed by U.S. agents against prisoners in the war on terror. For Van Hollen, it meant refusing to defend a law he believes violates the Wisconsin Constitution. PREDICTABLY, VAN HOLLEN, a Republican, if being accused by Democrats of acting out of politics rather than principle. The law in question was adopted during the state budget cycle, when Democrats controlling both houses of the Legislature and Gov. Jim Doyle collaborated to mandate domestic partnership registries in every county. The measure establishes some spouse-like benefits for same-sex couples. The provision has been challenged as a violation of the 2006 constitutional amendment prohibiting same-sex marriages or arrangements “substantially similar” to marriage. Van Hollen, in refusing to defend the registries, said he believes the measure is unconstitutional in light of the voters’ decision in 2006. We think Van Hollen is right. CLEARLY, THE majority party in state government objects to the amendment passed by voters. Just as clearly, the domestic partner registry action was taken by Doyle and legislators in an effort to skirt the supreme law of the state. Thus, the attorney general’s duty seems obvious. He should defend the constitution, not the legislature. This isn’t even a close call. The voters’ preference was specific and passed by a significant margin. The unfortunate part of all this is that Governor Doyle, in light of Van Hollen’s stand, has seen fit to hire a Madison private attorney to represent the effort to uphold the registry law. The cost will be substantial, and the bill will go to taxpayers. IN AN EARLIER commentary we reminded readers that the Beloit Daily News, in 2006, recommended a no vote on the constitutional amendment. We thought it went too far by adding the “substantially similar” clause which, in effect, prohibited Wisconsin from creating civil unions or domestic partner registries or any legal recognition at all. Nevertheless, the people had their say. The amendment passed. The law is the law. It can be rescinded by voters, should they choose to do so at some later date. It cannot be ignored, as if it never happened. In our view, majority Democrats have thumbed their noses at the voters. We cannot support that. Neither, apparently, can J.B. Van Hollen. The attorney general — not the governor, not the legislators — has taken the principled stand. “It’s unfortunate the attorney general has made that decision to cost taxpayers,” a Doyle spokesperson said. No. It’s unfortunate the majority party refused to obey voters. Click here to see the editorial on the Beloit Daily News website. Thu, 27 Aug 2009 12:19:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=23841&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=23841&mname=Article MADISON (WKOW) -- Wisconsin Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen announced on Wednesday that the Wisconsin Department of Justice (DOJ) has filed a petition under the state's sexual predator law to commit a Dane County man for treatment. The petition was filed in Dane County Circuit Court and alleges that 35-year-old Christopher Riddle is a sexually violent person and should be committed for treatment. A probable cause hearing will be scheduled at a later date. According to the petition, Riddle was convicted of Sex with a Child Age 16 or older and Child Enticement - Exposing a Sex Organ in Dane County in 2007. Riddle was also convicted of Second Degree Sexual Assault of a Child in Dane County in 1994. Riddle was also convicted of four counts of Third Degree Sexual Assault in Washington County in 1995. Riddle was scheduled for release from the Department of Corrections on September 1, 2009, but will be held at a Department of Health Services facility until a trial is held on the DOJ's petition. The state's petition alleges that Riddle suffers from mental conditions that predispose him to engage in acts of sexual violence and that Riddle is dangerous because his mental disorders make it likely that he will engage in future acts of sexual violence. A petition is only an allegation and Riddle is legally presumed not to be a sexually violent person unless and until the state proves him to be a sexually violent person at a trial. Assistant Attorney General Rebecca Weise will represent the state in this case. Chapter 980 of the Wisconsin Statutes relates to the control, care and treatment of sexually violent person. Under state law, a person may be subject to civil commitment when he or she has been convicted of a sexually violent offense, has a mental disorder, and is dangerous to others because the mental disorder makes it likely he or she will commit further acts of sexual violence. A civil commitment is defined in Wisconsin as commitment to the custody and care of the Department of Health Services for control, care, and treatment until the person is no longer considered sexually violent. You can click here to see the story on the WKOW website. Wed, 26 Aug 2009 19:27:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=23808&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=23808&mname=Article Madison, WI – Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen issued the following statement today relating to his decision declining to represent the state against a petition challenging the constitutionality of the creation of the legal status of domestic partnerships in Wisconsin: "In November 2006, Wisconsin voters amended our State Constitution to declare that marriage was between one man and one woman. The amendment prohibits our government from recognizing any other legal status substantially similar to marriage. But the general domestic partnership provisions contained in Act 28 do just that – recognize a legal status that is substantially similar to the legal status of marriage. That is why I cannot represent the state in this case. My decision isn’t based on a policy disagreement. As Attorney General, I prosecute and defend laws that I wouldn’t have voted for if I were a policymaker. That is what I believe the job entails. But I will not ignore the Constitution. My oath isn’t to the legislature or the governor. My duty is to the people of the State of Wisconsin and the highest expression of their will — the Constitution of the State of Wisconsin. When the people have spoken by amending our Constitution, I will abide by their command. When policymakers have ignored their words, I will not. To defend the law would require me to ignore the command of the voters when they passed the recent marriage amendment or to ignore the expressly stated intent of the legislature in enacting Chapter 770. I am unwilling to do either. " You can click here to view Attorney General Van Hollen's statement on Racine News website. Fri, 21 Aug 2009 11:26:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=23591&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=23591&mname=Article Menominee, WI – On August 20, 2009 the Wisconsin Department of Justice announced the arrest of eight co-conspirators on federal drug distribution charges. Richard A. Dodge (22), Roberto R. James (50) , Elissa R. Peters (22), Joseph L. Sanapaw, Jr. (46), Joseph L. Sanapaw III (29), Richard Schreiber (40), Jeffrey L. Silos (24) and Raymond A. Tourtillott (29) were arrested for violation of Title 21 U.S. C. 841, Distribution of a Controlled Substance. The arrests were the result of a joint investigation by the Native American Drug & Gang Initiative (NADGI), the FBI’s Menominee Indian Reservation Safe Trails Task Force. NADGI is a collaboration between the Wisconsin Tribal Law Enforcement agencies and the Wisconsin Department of Justice – Division of Criminal Investigation to combat drug and gang activity on Wisconsin’s Native American Reservations. NADGI includes the Bad River Police Department, Lac Courte Oreilles Tribal Police Department, Lac du Flambeau Police Department, Menominee Tribal Police Department, Oneida Police Department, Red Cliff Police Department, St. Croix Police Department and the Stockbridge-Munsee Police Department. “NADGI is a very important partnership between the Wisconsin Department of Justice and Wisconsin’s Tribal Nations to fight crime on reservations,” said Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen. “I congratulate all of the participating agencies for the success of this operation.” Law enforcement officials from the Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation, the FBI, Menominee Indian Tribal Police, Menominee County Sheriff’s Department, Shawano County Sheriff’s Office, and the Oneida Police Department participated in the investigation leading to the eight arrests. An arrest is merely an accusation. A defendant in a criminal matter enjoys the presumption of innocence until proven guilty in a court of law. You can  click here to view the story on the Racine News website. Fri, 21 Aug 2009 08:07:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=23858&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=23858&mname=Article New Richmond (WQOW) - A police officer, who lives in western Wisconsin, is sentenced to serve time in prison for possessing child pornography. Monday, Anthony T. Miller was sentenced to five years in prison. He lives in New Richmond, but works in Minnesota. He has been a police officer with the city of Hastings for 11 years. The Wisconsin Department of Justice says Miller admitted downloading and trading child pornography for the past two years. Press Release: NEW RICHMOND - Anthony Miller, who told investigators he was a Hastings Minnesota police officer, was sentenced by Judge Vlack today on two counts of Possession of Child Pornography. He received 14 years on the first count with 4 years of initial confinement and 10 years of extended supervision. On count two Miller received 15 years with 5 years of initial confinement and 10 years extended supervision to be served concurrently. In addition, Miller must provide a DNA sample, register as a Sex Offender, not use a computer or access the Internet without prior written approval, not possess pornography and may not have contact with any child under 18 without prior written approval. Miller was originally charged on December 18, 2008 with Possession of Child Pornography and Sexual Exploitation of a Child. "Sadly, a man sworn to protect society has committed a crime victimizing our most vulnerable," said Wisconsin Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen, whose office investigated the crime with the U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement and the New Richmond Police Department. "Today's sentence sends a strong message: download and distribute child pornography and you will go to prison for a long time." You can click here to view the story on the WQOW website. Mon, 17 Aug 2009 19:17:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=23490&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=23490&mname=Article Attorney General Van Hollen says experience, vision offers stark contrast Madison, WI….Attorney General JB Van Hollen today said he welcomed former Department of Natural Resources Secretary Scott Hassett to the 2010 election for Wisconsin Attorney General. Van Hollen said the match up will provide voters a stark contrast between his own experience as Attorney General and a prosecutor on the county, state and federal levels versus a former government bureaucrat with no prosecution experience whatsoever. “I’ve returned the focus of the Department of Justice to fighting crime and assisting local law enforcement. And in the process we’ve demonstrated the importance of rising above partisan politics and putting the citizens of Wisconsin first,” said Attorney General Van Hollen. “I welcome Scott and I think our very different backgrounds will provide voters a clear contrast next November.” Van Hollen was elected in 2006 during a difficult year for Republicans in Wisconsin and nationally, however, he ran 7 points above the GOP top of the ticket. He recently filed his June campaign finance report with $214,000 cash on hand. Thu, 30 Jul 2009 12:38:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=23178&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=23178&mname=Article Published : Wednesday, 29 Jul 2009 From Fox 11, WLUK-TV TOWN OF MUKWA - A 50-year-old rural New London man has been charged with eight counts of possession of child pornography. Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen’s office said officials from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the state Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, Waupaca County Sheriff’s Office and New London Police Department found a laptop containing child pornography at the Town of Mukwa home of Russell K. Burg. During a search, police took a computer, computer hard drives, a credit card, thumb drives, optical disks and floppy diskettes and documents. According to the criminal complaint, Burg told investigators he views the images and videos of child pornography as a "fantasy." Burg said he had been viewing the images and videos for four or five years, saying he preferred children between 13 and 16 years old. Click here to access a copy of the story on Fox 11's website. Wed, 29 Jul 2009 10:08:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=23201&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=23201&mname=Article July 29, 2009 By The Fond du Lac Reporter CHILTON — A 54-year-old New Holstein woman has been sentenced to prison for securities fraud and theft of investors' money. On Tuesday, Denver Kalkofen appeared before Calumet County Circuit Court Judge Donald A. Poppy for sentencing. She had previously entered no contest pleas and was convicted of four counts of theft in a business setting and two counts of securities fraud, occurring between 1998 and 2009. "Ms. Kalkofen's acts were egregious and unconscionable, creating victims from responsible citizens that included even her own stepdaughter," said Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen in a news release. "This sentence sends a clear message to those who would seek to use their positions of trust to illegally enrich themselves — their conduct will not be tolerated and they will be held to account." Poppy sentenced Kalkofen to a term of seven years confinement and 11 years of supervision. As conditions of her extended supervision, the court also ordered Kalkofen to make restitution to the victims and any third parties or insurers that compensated the victims for their losses in the amount of $2,251,449. According to the criminal complaint: Kalkofen was a licensed securities agent in Wisconsin. As early as 1998, Kalkofen advised several of her clients that she had other investment opportunities through a company known as "Denuer," a business that does not appear to exist. Clients would typically make the checks out to "Denuer" or "cash" and provide them to Kalkofen. An examination of Kalkofen's bank accounts reflects that Kalkofen deposited the checks into her personal bank accounts. The total amount of funds obtained between 1998 and 2009 exceeded $2.4 million. In addition, further examination of the accounts document that more than $1 million of the funds was spent on casino-related expenses. Kalkofen presented statements to some of her customers that purported to show investment values and rates of return. However, Kalkofen did not invest any of the money that the customers gave to her on their behalf. The complaint alleges that there were more than 25 victims residing in Calumet, Sheboygan, Brown, Dane, Manitowoc, Oconto, Ozaukee, Vilas and Washington counties. The charges are the result of an investigation by the Securities Division of the Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions with assistance from the Calumet County Sheriff's Department. Assistant Attorney General Donald Latorraca represented the state in the case. Cick here to access the story on the Fond du Lac Reporter's website. Wed, 29 Jul 2009 10:02:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=23200&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=23200&mname=Article Madison, WI — Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen today announced that Wisconsin Medicaid will receive a state share of $923,230.96 as part of a settlement with Aventis Pharmaceutical, Inc, a wholly-owned subsidiary of sanofi-aventis U.S., LLC. The state share is part of the total settlement amount of $2,051,624.35 attributable to the Wisconsin Medicaid program as part of a $95.5 million multi-state settlement. Medicaid is a federal and state jointly funded medical assistance program. The Wisconsin settlement agreement resolves allegations that between 1995 and 2000, Aventis and its corporate predecessors knowingly misreported best prices for the steroid-based antiinflammatory nasal sprays Azmacort, Nasacort and Nasacort AQ. Under the Medicaid Drug Rebate Statute, Aventis was required to report to Medicaid the lowest, or “best” price that it charged commercial customers, and pay quarterly rebates to the Medicaid program based on those reported “best” prices. Aventis entered into “private label” agreements with Kaiser Permanente, a large health maintenance organization (HMO), to avoid reporting the best price for Azmacort, Nasacort and Nasacort AQ that would have obligated it to pay millions of dollars of drug rebates to state Medicaid programs, including Wisconsin’s. Aventis repackaged its drugs under Kaiser’s “private label,” resulting in the underpayment of drug rebates to the Medicaid program and to several other federal health programs. State programs across the country will receive over $40 million of the settlement. The federal portion of Medicaid recovery is approximately $49 million with an additional $6.5 million for certain public health service entities who also paid inflated prices for the drugs at issue. Aventis Pharmaceutical’s parent company, sanofi-aventis, entered into an Addendum to a Corporate Integrity Agreement with the Office of Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services. Under the Addendum, sanofi-aventis is required to report certain best price information for drugs covered by Medicaid and other health care programs. The company was already under a corporate integrity agreement requiring it to report other pricing information to the government as a result of a prior drug pricing settlement concerning the company’s drug Anzemet. “This is a substantial recovery for our Medicaid program,” Van Hollen stated. “Aventis underpaid their rebates and overcharged the states for these products. This conduct will not be tolerated, and we will aggressively enforce the law to maintain the integrity of our Medicaid program.” Click here to access the story on the Racine News website. Mon, 20 Jul 2009 07:21:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=22981&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=22981&mname=Article By Jeff Allen, WJFW Rhinelander - Tri-County Council on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault is getting some big funding to hire a new employee in its Minocqua office. This week, Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen awarded Tri-County almost 68-thousand dollars from the Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Shellie Holmes, Executive Director, Tri-County Council on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault, says "We are very excited about this, because it's new money for our agency. And when I wrote the grant the stipulation was that it had to create or maintain jobs. And we knew that we had to create a new job for opening the Minocqua office." Tri-County is one of 16 programs that Van Hollen has chosen for more than 900-thousand dollars in funding to help crime victims. Holmes says she hopes to find the right employee to head operations in Minocqua as soon as possible. If you know someone or are a victim of domestic violence or sexual assault, call 1-800-236-1222 or click on the link below. Tri-County Council website. Click here to find the original story on the WJFW-12 website. Thu, 16 Jul 2009 10:53:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=23208&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=23208&mname=Article MADISON (WKOW) -- Wisconsin's Department of Justice is warning against the latest identity theft scam. If you've had an 'Officer Smith' call your home, you might be a victim to this phishing scam. It's just surfaced in Wisconsin. The caller identifies himself as "Officer Smith with the United Law Enforcement and Investigation Department." Residents who've received the call say the caller provided a phone number (814) 273-1518 and tried to get the persons' Social Security Number and other information. "The Wisconsin Department of Justice wants to take this opportunity to remind folks that identity theft is a serious problem in Wisconsin," said Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen. "Never give your personal identifying information out without fully confirming the source of the call and circumstances." Click here to find the story on the WKOW website. Wed, 08 Jul 2009 06:46:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=22978&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=22978&mname=Article by Sheboygan Press staff The Plymouth Police Department has joined a statewide law enforcement task force that will provide additional resources to prevent and investigate crimes against children. The police department becomes the 92nd Wisconsin law enforcement agency in the Wisconsin Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, according to the Attorney General's Office, which runs the program. The Sheboygan Police Department is also part of the group. Participating law enforcement agencies can be reimbursed for computer hardware and software used to investigate crimes against children with online ties, receive additional training and get investigative help from the task force, according to a news release. Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen said authorities are aware of more than 22,000 computers in Wisconsin containing and offering to distribute child pornography. He said one in seven children are asked online to engage in sexual activities or sexual talk, or provide personal sexual information. The task force and its member agencies have arrested 540 suspects and executed 647 search warrants since the group's formation 10 years ago. Click here to find a copy of the story on the Sheboygan Press website. Fri, 03 Jul 2009 06:51:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=22979&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=22979&mname=Article A man accused of using a rock to shatter a window of the Charter Communications office building faces a burglary charge after his DNA was recovered from the stone, according to La Crosse police reports. Lance Lewandowski, 50, is accused of launching a rock late April 10 through an alley window of the building at 1800 Jackson St., police reports stated. He used a small bucket to climb through the window 5½ feet off the ground. About $230 was stolen during the burglary, according to reports. Police swabbed the rock found stuck in drywall on the opposite side the room. Lewandowski was arrested Tuesday when the state’s crime lab linked his DNA to that found on the rock, reports stated. “Just about at every crime scene now we’re swabbing (for DNA),” said La Crosse police Capt. Mitch Brohmer. “It’s apparent now the backlog is caught up, DNA is starting to solve a lot more crimes.” The state crime lab is producing results for submitted DNA samples in three to six weeks, down from 12 to 18 months since Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen vowed to correct the backlog, according to Department of Justice. “As science continues to develop and there’s advances in forensics, it’s going to be an aide to law enforcement agencies in their pursuit of solving crimes,” Brohmer said. Lewandowski, who does not have a permanent address, is expected to be charged today in La Crosse County Circuit Court. He is jailed on a $25,000 cash bond. Click here to find a copy of the story on the La Crosse Tribune website. Thu, 02 Jul 2009 06:54:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=22980&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=22980&mname=Article Tue, 23 Jun 2009 09:45:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=22741&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=22741&mname=Article By: Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen Our kids are our most precious resource. Families work very hard to raise them, pass along values and traditions, educate them, and give them every opportunity to achieve their dreams. At the Department of Justice, we also work very hard to protect them. Nowhere is this commitment greater than in our efforts to fight Internet predators. While the Internet has opened many doors for our children, from education to communication to entertainment, it has also become an active crime scene. Online sex predators use technology to connect with kids, using all the tools they use: instant messaging, picture and video trading, chat rooms, web cameras, web microphones, social networking sites like MySpace and Facebook, and even online gaming networks like X-Box Live. Child pornographers have invaded the Internet in many forms. Commercial websites, often located abroad, find an endless supply of customers in the U.S., including in Wisconsin. Others use chat rooms to obtain and trade images and movies, while some simply use their own digital cameras, camcorders, or cell phones to manufacture images. As for cell phones, have you heard the term "sexting?" It refers to sexually explicit chat and photos through cellular telephones. Often, predators use cell phones after meeting children online. Predators also use file sharing programs like LimeWire, which many parents believe are just used for music. There are 22,000 unique IP addresses over a 10 month period that were collecting and sharing child pornography images and videos. Nationally, the story is no different. Statistics kept by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) illustrate the scope of the problem: Since 1992, for example, NCMEC's Child Recognition and Identification System (CRIS) has reviewed more than 23 million child pornography images and movies seized by law enforcement. Since 1998, NCMEC's Cyber Tipline has received almost 700,000 reports of suspected online child exploitation taking place around the country, including some one-thousand tips referred to our ICAC. To make matters more disturbing, surveys have shown a correlation between child pornographers and child molesters. In 2005, sobering results were released from a study at the Federal Correctional Institution in Buttner, North Carolina. Researchers indicated that of about 200 federal inmates convicted of Internet child pornography crimes, some 85% admitted to molesting children as well. The Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force of my office's Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) is dedicated to identifying and arresting those predators. Since 1998, the ICAC Task Force has arrested more than 600 offenders and executed more than 800 search warrants. To help prevent kids from becoming victims, and to help parents, teachers, and child welfare advocates better protect kids, we have educated more than 160,000 citizens of all ages across Wisconsin. Parents are the first line of defense in protecting their children from online predators. We have included some tips for parents to help protect their children. At my request, in its last budget, the state legislature funded two additional Special Agent positions for our ICAC Task Force, as well as three new forensic computer analyst positions. Those specialists perform the critical task of finding and analyzing digital evidence, sometimes right after agents seize it. This teamwork often allows us to take the predator into custody literally within an hour from the time a search warrant is executed. Our DCI professionals partner with a growing list of local law enforcement agencies throughout the state. We now have 88 ICAC affiliates throughout the state, almost quadrupling our partnerships since 2006. Additionally, we work hand-in-hand with our federal counterparts to investigate crimes against children that result in a wide-range of federal charges. Let Internet predators take note. My commitment is unceasing. We will identify you, arrest you, and take you off the street; we will follow you to every area of the Internet, no matter where you try to hide; and we will work together in law enforcement to stay one step ahead of you. * * * * * * * * * * * * * Attorney General Van Hollen's Internet Safety Tips for Parents Be an Active Parent. Keep open lines of communications with kids about Internet use. This process should begin as soon as a child gets online. Prepare Your Children for the Online World as You Do the Real World. Make no mistake, the online world is real, and so are its dangers. Talk to your children about the benefits and dangers of the Internet. You tell your kids not to jump into a stranger's car alone and why that's dangerous; tell them why they shouldn't travel the Internet Highway alone and why that is dangerous. Watch Internet Use. Internet predators are watching your kids online. You need to be, too. One suggestion: keep computers in common areas. Use Software Resources. Use filters that block inappropriate websites or online services that are harmful to kids. Consider installing monitoring software, which records everything kids do online, from instant messaging to videos to picture trading. It's Not Just the Computer. Find out how your kids are communicating and understand the technology. If you can't appropriately supervise use, don't allow it. Report Online Exploitation. Call local law enforcement or the Wisconsin ICAC Task Force at (608) 266-1671. Find Out More. Visit the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children's "net smartz" websites. www.netsmartz411.org is geared to help parents; www.netsmartz.org includes information for parents, kids, educators, and law enforcement. We use these materials. You should too. Thu, 11 Jun 2009 16:46:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=22618&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=22618&mname=Article by Paul Knoff-WCCN A Democratic district attorney says proposed cuts to the Wisconsin Department of Justice budget could affect safety around the state. On Wednesday, Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen said the 5% cut could lead to the elimination of 80 jobs at his agency. Clark County DA Darwin Zwieg says the DOJ provides invaluable services to local law enforcement such as DNA analysis and the state crime lab something be used "more and more." Zwieg says the proposed cuts could even affect the bodily welfare of citizens or perhaps cost lives. Van Hollen says the cuts are politically motivated with him being a Republican while the budget writing committee is run by Democrats. Zwieg, a registered Democrat, says he and Van Hollen's belief on public safety are closely associated. The Clark County prosecutor says local law enforcement often receives assistance from the DOJ, citing a recent sexual assault of a child case as an example. A conviction was won by an Assistant Attorney General, who prosecuted the case. Click here for audio and to see the story at the Wisconsin Radio Network Website. Fri, 05 Jun 2009 11:07:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=22547&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=22547&mname=Article Thu, 04 Jun 2009 10:02:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=22536&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=22536&mname=Article By Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen "We must preserve our essential services, such as ... public safety." Those were Governor Doyle's comments on May 22, echoed by some legislators, when it was announced that the budget gap was widening and further cuts to state operations would be necessary. The message to the public was that public safety, already cut in the budget, would be protected from further cuts. The underlying principle was one I've advocated throughout my career: public safety is the priority of state and local government. Without this essential service, the good work of people, communities, and government is diminished and our liberties jeopardized. Unfortunately, the Joint Finance Committee, led by two Madison-area legislators, didn't put this principle into practice. The Department of Justice is the state's preeminent law enforcement agency. Yet after the pronouncement that public safety should be protected from further cuts, on Memorial Day weekend and in their marathon midnight session last week, the Joint Finance Committee imposed an additional $6.4 million in new cuts on the Department of Justice - cuts beyond what the Governor or anyone else had publicly proposed. In real terms, this means a significant reduction in our important public safety and law enforcement services. The cuts are to all agency functions. They are to the crime labs, which use DNA analysis and other forensics to identify offenders and exonerate the innocent. They are to our systems that provide officers on the street with real-time criminal history and other information, so they will know when they approach a situation that a temporary restraining order was placed on a domestic violence suspect a few hours before. They are to the Division of Criminal Investigation, which investigates crimes against children, homicides, drug trafficking organizations, and public corruption. They are cuts to our ability to serve crime victims. They are to our attorneys, who prosecute criminals and support prosecutions in the Supreme Court, who keep sexually violent offenders committed, who enforce important environmental and consumer protection laws, who defend state law, who recover taxpayer money diverted by Medicaid fraud - nearly $30 million since I took office, and who enforce the settlement agreement with tobacco companies that brings in $150 million to the state a year. I understand these tight fiscal times. In good times or bad, government should be managed efficiently. We've done our work in a fiscally responsible manner. Before there was ever a budget crisis, I returned $1.2 million to the treasury. I also returned my personally assigned state vehicle. And I understand that not everyone prioritizes public safety above other government services, as I do. I am fully prepared to manage cuts to DOJ that have been imposed on other public safety agencies like the Department of Corrections. Reasonable people can disagree on what government should do and how those responsibilities should be funded. But reasonable people do not say that they will protect public safety from the most drastic of the cuts, exempt some public safety agencies from that cut, and impose it on the state's preeminent public safety agency. Particularly when that agency works as well as the Department of Justice does. Reasonable people do not claim to protect public safety and then ask Justice to absorb almost 8% of the anticipated personnel layoffs while the agency makes up less than 1% of the state workforce. I can only surmise that it wasn't reason that motivated the Madison-area leaders of the Joint Finance Committee to treat DOJ differently than public safety agencies like the Department of Corrections. It was partisanship. I think public safety is not a partisan issue. Perhaps those motivated by partisan games thought they would be scoring political points by taking a pound of flesh from the only state agency led by a Republican. But when they swing, they don't hit me. They hit the crime victims we aim to protect. Thankfully, I don't think that the Madison-area legislators masterminding the Joint Finance Committee speak for all state legislators. There are members of both parties who recognize the importance of public safety. I am hopeful these members will do their part to ensure that partisan politics isn't the end-all of budget policy. Let them know if you agree with me. Wed, 03 Jun 2009 08:42:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=22530&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=22530&mname=Article MADISON (AP) — Wisconsin Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen said he’s giving Marquette University Law School $310,000 to start a foreclosure remediation program. The money comes from a deal Wisconsin struck in February with Countrywide Financial Corp. The lender settled with 11 states over allegations it misrepresented its loans and invited other states to sign onto the deal. Wisconsin got $1.6 million. Half went to Countrywide customers. The other half went to the state Justice Department for foreclosure relief. Marquette will use its portion to pay for two workers to mediate home foreclosures. Click here to find a copy of the AP story on the La Crosse Tribune website. Thu, 28 May 2009 15:42:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=22523&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=22523&mname=Article By The Business Journal of Milwaukee Wisconsin is part of a nationwide crackdown on fundraisers and individuals who investigators say are soliciting donations for law enforcement or veterans who never see the cash. State Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen said Wednesday that the state has joined with the Federal Trade Commission and 47 other states for what they’ve dubbed “Operation False Charity.” The launch of the effort came as Wisconsin and 31 other states settled with Milwaukee-based fundraising company Community Support Inc., which investigators say used illegal tactics to snag donations from consumers in Wisconsin and elsewhere. For some of its fundraising campaigns, Community Support Inc. keeps up to 90 percent of all money donated, at times leaving just 10 percent for the charity, Van Hollen said. The company, Van Hollen said, will be enjoined from engaging in specific deceptive fundraising practices and pay a fine of $200,000 to be divided among the states. The Federal Trade Commission said that investigators nationwide are set to announce 72 law-enforcement actions against fundraising companies, nonprofits or purported nonprofits and individuals in concert with the crackdown. Click here to find a copy of the story at the Milwaukee Business Journal website. Wed, 20 May 2009 15:20:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=22522&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=22522&mname=Article Wed, 20 May 2009 12:40:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=22533&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=22533&mname=Article By J.B. Van Hollen It’s dinnertime, and the phone rings. A solicitor in a noisy room is seeking your donation for a charitable organization you have never heard of, but which appears to be a worthy cause. The solicitor says that the charity provides important assistance to police officers, firefighters or veterans, or helps cancer patients or disabled children. How do you know that the charity is legitimate, and that your donation would be used wisely and effectively? It’s possible that the caller is a paid solicitor working for a professional fundraising company that raises money for various charities and may well take as much as 90% of the donations for itself. Even worse, by the time the charity pays its overhead and compensates its own managers, it may spend less than 5% of the donations to engage in the charitable services it supposedly provides. There are even sham charities which spend nothing at all on the services promised. These deceptive fundraising practices affect all of us. Not only do they thwart the generous intent of donors to meaningfully assist those in need, but they also victimize the many legitimate charitable organizations in our country and communities that perform vital services. These charities often work very efficiently, spending modestly on fundraising and administration while devoting the vast majority of donations directly to the important services they provide. Those organizations deserve our gratitude and our support. Unfortunately, a dollar diverted to a phony charity is a dollar not available to a worthy charity. How can you tell whether the charity you’re being asked to support will make good use of your contribution? Here are some tips to avoid being duped by deceptive fundraisers: * Ask for the name and location of the company that is calling you, and ask what percent of donations they keep for themselves. If they won’t tell you, that is a good reason not to donate. * Ask where the charity is located. Don’t assume your donation will be used in your community just because your check goes to a local address. Often the donation checks are simply forwarded out of state to the fundraiser’s actual location. * Do not be misled by copycat names that are similar to those of legitimate, established charities. This can be part of the deception. * Don’t be misled by a false claim that you have donated previously. If you cannot remember doing so, ask for the specifics (date and amount) of your donation. * Request written information about the charity before you make a decision. Legitimate charities generally will provide such information. Phony charities usually will not. There are resources available for investigating a charity, particularly on the internet. One such site is http://www.Guidestar.org, which posts financial reports of charities. You can also find out whether a charity or fundraiser is registered, and obtain other information, on the website of the Wisconsin Department of Regulation and Licensing, http://drl.wi.gov/index.htm. Now more than ever it is critical for all of us to support the many charities in our communities who perform tremendously important and valuable work. It is equally critical that we not allow the scammers to prey on the great generosity of Wisconsin residents by siphoning off donations simply to enrich themselves. Tue, 19 May 2009 15:52:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=22525&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=22525&mname=Article By The Post-Crescent OSHKOSH — An Oshkosh man faces prison after he was convicted Monday of two counts of security fraud and one count of selling an unregistered security in a scam that netted nearly $140,000 from elderly clients. Mark H. Brenner, 50, was found guilty of the charges by Winnebago County Judge Barbara Hart Key after entering guilty pleas to the felony charges. Three other securities charges and uncharged offenses will be considered at sentencing and for restitution, which is set for Aug. 6. Atty. Gen. J.B. Van Hollen said the plea was the result of an agreement, and said the state will recommend that Brenner serve 18 to 24 months in prison, followed by a period of extended supervision and probation totaling an additional 8 to 8½ years. The plea agreement also requires Brenner to make restitution to all victims. The criminal complaint said the charges stem from a series of transactions that Brenner had with an elderly husband and wife. Brenner told the couple that his real estate business, Valley Home Buyers, purchased distressed properties, repaired and refurbished them, and then resold the properties for a profit. Brenner said his company made large interest payments to investors and that he was working with a loan officer who fed him information when the loan officer's bank was getting ready to foreclose on a property. The couple invested nearly $97,000 between November 2001 and November 2002, with promises of annual interest of 10 to 15 percent. Brenner owed the couple $105,000 by November 2004, entered into another agreement with the couple, and stopped all payments in April 2005. The uncharged securities offenses involved transactions with another elderly couple and the couple's elderly aunt in which they paid Brenner a total of $40,000 between 1999 and 2003 to invest in a similar real estate venture in exchange for promises of high interest payments. The credit card crimes involved Brenner making unauthorized charges of more than $2,000 against the couple's credit card. The plea agreement required Brenner to acknowledge his guilt to these uncharged crimes. The complaint said Brenner and Valley Home Buyers never purchased a single property and that Brenner used these investment funds to pay his living expenses and interest payments. The investigation also revealed that from 1990 to 1994, Brenner was sued numerous times, resulting in money judgments against him and one foreclosure. The complaint said that Brenner never told investors of his legal woes. Click here to find a copy of the story on the Appleton Post Crescent website. Tue, 19 May 2009 15:15:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=22520&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=22520&mname=Article MADISON — Attorney General J. B. Van Hollen appeared today in Dane County Circuit Court to request forfeitures against Pharmacia totaling approximately $212 million, as well as an injunction requiring Pharmacia to report truthful prices. The request was based on findings by a jury in February that Pharmacia, a pharmaceutical manufacturer, caused 1.44 million violations of Wisconsin’s Medicaid fraud statute. “The jury determined that Pharmacia was committing fraud,” Van Hollen said. “This fraud caused taxpayers, the uninsured, and third-party payers to overpay for prescription drugs. Our system depends on truthful reporting. I am asking the Court to award these forfeitures to deter future fraud and to protect taxpayers and the health care system.” The dispositional hearing before the Honorable Richard Niess was the latest development in a case filed by the Wisconsin Department of Justice in 2004 against 36 pharmaceutical manufacturers. The court has not ruled on the matters addressed at the hearing and is not expected to today. Under Wisconsin law it is unlawful to make representations with the intent to sell pharmaceuticals when the representations are untrue, deceptive or misleading. Each defendant company allegedly identified average wholesale prices (“AWPs”) for their drugs which were provided to a pricing compendium relied on by the Medicaid program to reimburse pharmacists. Wisconsin law provides that a court may impose a forfeiture of not less than $100 and not more than $15,000 for each violation of the Medicaid fraud statute. Van Hollen proposed a sliding scale of forfeitures for the repeated violations that increased over time, reflecting a sanction for Pharmacia’s escalating unlawful behaviors. Additionally, he sought the injunction to ensure that the fraudulent reporting practices could not continue in the future. Three of the 36 manufacturers named in the lawsuit have settled with the state without trial, agreeing to pay over $3 million to resolve their claims. Trials against several other manufacturers are scheduled for next year. Click here to find a copy of the story at the Daily Kenoshan website. Tue, 12 May 2009 15:10:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=22519&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=22519&mname=Article By the Herald Times Reporter NEW HOLSTEIN — Denver Kalkofen, 54, of New Holstein, was convicted of four counts of theft in a business setting and two counts of securities fraud, occurring between 1998 and 2009, Wisconsin Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen said in a news release Monday. According to the release: The criminal complaint against Kalkofen alleges there were more than 25 victims residing in Manitowoc, Calumet, Sheboygan, Brown, Dane, Oconto, Ozaukee, Vilas and Washington counties. The complaint further alleges that Kalkofen was a licensed securities agent and advised several of her clients that she had investment opportunities through a company known as "Denuer," a business that does not appear to exist. She did not invest any of the money, which exceeded $2.4 million. More than $1 million of these funds were spent on casino-related expenses. Kalkofen entered a plea of no contest to the charges Monday. Calumet County Circuit Court Judge Donald A. Poppy accepted her pleas and adjourned the matter for a presentencing investigation. The sentencing hearing is scheduled for 10 a.m. July 28 in the Calumet County Circuit Court, Chilton. The maximum penalty for theft is a term of imprisonment not to exceed 10 years or a $10,000 fine, or both, as to each count. The maximum possible penalty for securities fraud is a term of imprisonment not to exceed six years and a fine of not more than $10,000, or both, as to each count. Click here to see the story at Herald Times Reporter Website. Tue, 12 May 2009 14:49:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=22517&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=22517&mname=Article Associated Press May 12, 2009 MADISON, Wis. - Wisconsin Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen says he’ll give some of his salary to charity when state workers take furloughs. Gov. Jim Doyle announced a budget-balancing plan last week that calls for most state workers to take 16 days of unpaid leave over the next two fiscal years. The move is designed to help offset the state’s $6.6 billion budget shortfall. Elected officials aren’t subject to the furlough order. But Doyle, a Democrat, plans to refuse to accept $8,404 in pay, the equivalent of 16 days wages. Van Hollen, a Republican, says he’ll donate $5,517, the equivalent of 16 days of his pay after taxes, to a charity. He hasn’t selected one yet, though. Click here to see the AP story on the Chicago Tribune website. Tue, 12 May 2009 14:30:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=22516&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=22516&mname=Article By Ted Sullivan, The Janesville Gazette JANESVILLE — Law enforcement agencies defend their use of time and money to catch online sexual predators, even if they’re luring offenders from outside southern Wisconsin to local communities. The Milton Police Department on May 2 arrested a Madison man suspected of driving to Milton to meet what he thought was a 15-year-old Milton girl. The man was arrested and charged in Rock County after Milton police conducted an online sting. Local taxpayers will pay for the man’s prosecution and possible jail time. The arrest stems from the Milton Police Department’s membership in the Wisconsin Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, a program touted by the Wisconsin Attorney General’s Office. Jerry Schuetz, Milton police chief, said police used to patrol parks and schools, but now they have to patrol the Internet. “We want to make it known that Internet predators are not safe there,” Schuetz said. “We want the Internet to be a safe place for kids and families.” Law enforcement agencies have jurisdictional challenges with online sex stings, he said, but the time and money spent to protect local children is worth it. The goal is to let sexual predators know if they come to Milton to meet a child, they could be meeting a cop, Schuetz said. The guideline for whether it’s worth the time for his investigators to target online sexual predators is if the offender is willing to travel to Milton, he said. If they are, a formal investigation is launched, Schuetz said. The idea is to be proactive and stop them, rather than wait for a child to get sexually assaulted, Schuetz said. Dave Moore, Janesville police chief, said his police department is part of the task force. He wouldn’t comment on any ongoing investigation, but he said his department targets offenders who live in the area. Janesville investigators focus on offenders in Janesville, Rock County or just outside the area, Moore said. They’re not interested in bringing in offenders from far-away places. The expense of targeting out-of-state offenders is great considering they’re not a big threat to local children, he said. Local investigators, however, can target out-of-state predators if federal money supports the cost of prosecuting and incarcerating those offenders, he said. “If you were to take on offenders throughout the United States, I don’t’ think there is any end to the investigation or the cost of the investigation,” Moore said. Todd Christiansen, Rock County sheriff’s captain, said the sheriff’s office is discussing whether to join the task force. Sheriff’s investigators are trained to catch online predators, but they are not actively conducting such cases, he said. “If they’re willing to come to our community, and we’re able to catch them and prosecute them, I think we should be doing it,” Christiansen said. If predators won’t travel here, investigators should focus elsewhere, he said. “It takes a lot of resources and time,” he said. “That’s one of the reasons we haven’t started (online investigations) yet. With the amount of work we have, we haven’t had time.” J.B. Van Hollen, the Wisconsin attorney general, said the goal of the program is to protect children. If more agencies join the task force, they can cooperate across jurisdictional boundaries and take pedophiles off the street, he said. The task force encourages a universal approach. The money used to conduct the investigations is worth it, Van Hollen said, and law enforcement agencies should be willing to arrest offenders from anywhere. In the Milton case, the police department took a Madison offender off the streets, he said. Next time, the Madison Police Department might arrest a Milton offender. The task force encourages cooperation, Van Hollen said, and no community is immune to the problem. “The odds are the same crime could happen in reverse next time,” he said. STATE TASK FORCE Law enforcement agencies in the Wisconsin Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force get training and equipment for online investigations targeting sexual predators. The task force has existed for 10 years, and 83 agencies are members, according to the Wisconsin Attorney General’s Office. The task force has led to the arrests of 540 suspects and the execution of 647 search warrants, according to the attorney general’s office. The state is aware of more than 22,300 Internet addresses distributing child pornography, according to the attorney general’s office. One in seven children are sexually solicited online, according to the attorney general’s office. TASK FORCE MEMBERS Area law enforcement agencies in the Wisconsin Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force include: -- Edgerton Police Department -- Janesville Police Department -- Jefferson Police Department -- Lake Geneva Police Department -- Lake Mills Police Department -- Milton Police Department -- Whitewater Police Department Click here to see the story on the Janesville Gazette website. Sun, 10 May 2009 14:55:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=22518&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=22518&mname=Article By Jeff Angeleri -WKOW MADISON (WKOW) -- When attorney general J.B. Van Hollen took office three years ago, he aimed to eliminate the backlog of cases at the state crime lab by 2010. Now, Wisconsin is on pace to finish ahead of that timeframe. A backlog is defined as a piece of evidence that's brought into the lab, and is not out within 30 days. That used to be the norm -- but now a concerted effort to eliminate those delays seems to be working. Not long ago, in January of 2007, analysts at the state crime lab faced a daunting task -- a backlog of more than 1,800 cases. DNA samples sat untested. Police and courtrooms waited. Families were left searching for resolutions. Crime lab administrator Gary Hamblin says thanks to vast improvements, the backlog is a fraction of its former self -- down to 525. That means more DNA samples are getting tested faster, and investigators can track down or eliminate suspects altogether. "Both of those things will save law enforcement resources and allow police agencies in the state to make better use of their time and resources," Hamblin said. "That makes the public safer and saves taxpayer dollars." Here's how they worked through 1,300 cases in about two years: 60 DNA analysts now work as part of the forensics team. "Even though there's a high reliance on DNA, there are still a lot of valuable disciplines in the lab whether it be fingerprints, firearms, toxicology," said Hamblin. Even with double the staff, keeping the backlog in check often depends on how much has to be tested. "We get cases that have anywhere from a single DNA sample that needs to be analyzed to some homicide cases, we've had almost 200 samples," Hamblin said. But with the relatively new technology constantly getting better, convicting the guilty and freeing the innocent is happening faster and with less evidence to begin with. Said Hamblin "Years ago, if you were looking at a blood sample for example you needed a stain the size of a quarter in order to get enough material to test. Now, we get it with a few cells." As the backlog shrinks, Hamblin expects the number of cases sent to the lab to grow. He says part of that is due to the crime lab's success over the last two years. Mon, 04 May 2009 08:19:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=22211&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=22211&mname=Article By Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen The governor's submitted budget proposes the early release of offenders from prison. It proposes to eliminate the community supervision of many offenders already out of prison. And it will take away probation as a sentencing option for some crimes. I have shared many of my concerns about the public safety impacts of this proposal. Largely unheard in this discussion has been the voice of crime victims. Overlooked or uninvited, their voices are drowned out by the sound of the freight train this proposal seems to be riding. In the words of Karen Rengert, president of the Wisconsin Victim Witness Professionals, this proposal amounts to "broken promises that will impact victims of crime." I couldn't agree more. Good policy should drive budget priorities, not the other way around. Decide what's important and fund it. This proposal, however, is an example of a fiscal crisis driving a (bad) policy decision. Crime victims will tell you what's important. Especially, when they have been told they are. Participating in the criminal process, sentencing, restitution, confinement, field supervision and notification are vital to the pact with Wisconsin's crime victims. This proposal breaks that promise and, if enacted, it will have a lasting impact on victims of crime and public safety. The governor's proposal puts victims at the mercy of a system, once again, where unelected bureaucrats at the Department of Corrections will reduce the sentences imposed by elected judges. The current "truth-in-sentencing" law, which mandates that the time served by an offender reflects the sentence handed down by the court, helps make victims' rights meaningful. Crime victims in Wisconsin have a statutory right to communicate with prosecutors about the case, to discuss possible pleas and dispositions, to submit information to the Court, to make victim impact statements at sentencing, and to receive information about the final disposition of the case. Those rights have far less meaning when the aspect most important to the victim — the final outcome of the case — is subject to change. To add insult to injury, it is not even the court making the change after careful deliberation as a sentence modification. It's bureaucrats who've never met the victims of the convicts who will decide to let them out. Under the proposal, some offenders will be released early from prison. Some offenders will be released from supervision in the community. So-called non-violent offenders and certain felons will have the opportunity to shave one day off their sentence for every couple of days that they stay out of trouble. Even violent offenders' sentences can be reduced by one day for every 5.7 days they manage to follow the prison rules. Rewarding offenders for simply following the rules sends the wrong message. It places financial concerns above offender accountability and public safety, and is an insult to the victims already harmed by these offenders. Wisconsin provides victims with the right to be heard and to provide input not only during the prosecution of a crime but also during hearings when an offender requests a sentence adjustment. Moving the process from the transparency and accountability of the courts to a state bureaucracy is a step backward for victims and victims' rights. Changing court-ordered sentences and eliminating supervision in the community for certain offenders as a way to save money reflects a stunning lack of sensitivity and regard for victims of crime who, at minimum, deserve to know with certainty the sentence imposed for the crimes committed against them. During the last week of April, Wisconsin and the nation will celebrate National Crime Victims' Rights Week. This is the 25th anniversary of the Victims of Crime Act. As attorney general I am pleased to continue to be a voice for the innocent victims and survivors of crimes who live, work and lead responsible lives in our great state. For more information about crime victims' rights or National Crime Victims Rights Week go to http://www.doj.state.wi.us/cvs/index.asp. Wed, 29 Apr 2009 08:29:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=22212&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=22212&mname=Article MADISON (WKOW) -- Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen issued a formal opinion stating there's no authority to operate a revolving bail fund, as was done for a time in Dane County. The attorney general's opinion had been requested by Dane County district attorney Brian Blanchard. The county plan instituted by county executive Kathleen Falk and sheriff Dave Mahoney involved the lending of county money to certain eligible jail inmates when bail amounts were $250 or less. Some county judges and Blanchard had expressed concern about the lending plan. Click here to find a copy of the story at the WKOW website. Wed, 22 Apr 2009 08:32:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=22213&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=22213&mname=Article By Patrick Marley of the Journal Sentinel Madison - State Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen said openly carrying firearms is legal in a memo he sent to district attorneys Monday afternoon. "The Department (of Justice) believes that mere open carry of a firearm, absent additional facts and circumstances, should not result in a disorderly conduct charge," the Republican attorney general wrote in the memo. Wisconsin and Illinois are the only states that have an outright ban on carrying concealed weapons. But Wisconsin's statute is silent on carrying weapons openly, such as in a clearly visible belt holster. But people who openly carry guns often have been charged with disorderly conduct. That police practice has come under scrutiny recently. In February, Brad Krause was acquitted after being charged in August with disorderly conduct for having a holstered handgun while he did yard work in West Allis. Then last week, Jesus Gonzalez filed a federal lawsuit against West Milwaukee and Chilton after police officers in those communities detained him for carrying a gun in a holster in a Menards and a Wal-Mart. In both cases, he was taken to jail but not charged. In his memo, Van Hollen noted that the state constitution protects the right to bear arms. "A hunter openly carrying a rifle or shotgun on his property during hunting season while quietly tracking game should not face a disorderly conduct charge," Van Hollen wrote. "But if the same hunter carries the same rifle or shotgun through a crowded street while barking at a passerby, the conduct may lose its constitutional protection." "The same concepts should apply to handguns," he added, citing the West Allis case. He noted that brandishing a gun in public is not legal, however. Van Hollen said police retain the right to stop someone who is openly carrying a weapon to investigate possible crimes, including disorderly conduct. "Even though open carry enjoys constitutional protection, it may still give rise to reasonable suspicion when considered in totality," he wrote. "It is not a shield against police investigation or subsequent prosecution." Click here to get a copy of the story on the Journal Sentinel website. Mon, 20 Apr 2009 19:03:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=21950&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=21950&mname=Article By Racine News Team Milwaukee, WI - Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen and Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm announced today that charges have been filed against Mr. L.B. Dean, of Milwaukee, alleging he voted contrary to law as a felon unrestored to liberty. This criminal complaint is a result of the Elections Fraud Task Force, a joint effort of the Wisconsin Department of Justice and the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office. “I am grateful to the City of Milwaukee Election Commission, specifically Executive Director Susan Edman, for their attention to these important matters and their willingness to do the work necessary to ensure only those eligible to vote cast ballots,” Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen said today. The criminal complaint alleges Dean voted in the November 4, 2008 general election contrary to law. Dean was convicted in 2003 in Milwaukee County for manufacturing/deliver cocaine, possession with intent to deliver cocaine and bail jumping. He was imprisoned and supervised by the Wisconsin Department of Corrections. The criminal complaint reinforces that Dean was advised by Corrections that he could not vote until his liberty was restored, or completed his sentence/field supervision. The Elections Fraud Task Force was formalized in September 2008 as a cooperative, non-partisan effort to combat voter fraud in Milwaukee County. District Attorney John Chisholm and Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen announced its creation on September 17, 2008 in a Milwaukee press conference. The work of the Task Force continues with the assistance of the Milwaukee Elections Commission. The Commission has referred over 90 cases to the Milwaukee County District Attorney. “It is upon this vigorous review of the election materials and application of investigative and prosecutorial resources at the county and state level that these prosecutions are dependent. I am comforted by the diligence of the Commission and the productive efforts of our Task Force to protect the vote,” the Attorney General went on. Individuals charged with crimes enjoy the presumption of innocence until proven guilty in a court of law. Click here to find a copy of the story on the RacineNews.Org website. Wed, 08 Apr 2009 19:09:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=21951&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=21951&mname=Article (WKBT) - The Wisconsin Department of Justice wants to keep a Sparta man scheduled for release from prison out of society due to his violent history. Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen announced Friday a petition has been filed that alleges 43-year-old Christopher Waggoner is a sexually violent person and should be committed for treatment. Waggoner was convicted in 1995 of five felony counts of sexually assaulting a child and was sentenced to 20 years in prison. Waggoner was scheduled for release from prison March 31, but he will remain in custody at a Department of Health Services while he awaits trial. The petition also alleges that Waggoner is dangerous as his mental disorders make it likely that he will engage in future acts of sexual violence. Click here to find a copy of the story at the WKBT website. Fri, 03 Apr 2009 09:14:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=21749&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=21749&mname=Article By Jason Stein, Wisconsin State Journal State Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen said today he's giving back his state car to try to help the state save money during a tough budget. Van Hollen said he drives his own car part of the time anyway and felt he didn't need the 2006 Chrysler 300 sedan provided by taxpayers. The Department of Justice is returning six cars in total to the central state fleet maintained by the state Department of Administration. Returning Van Hollen's car will save the the agency $1,200 a year in parking in addition to $2,160 a year plus mileage for the car itself, Department of Justice spokesman Bill Cosh said. Van Hollen is eligible to be reimbursed for the miles he puts on his car but doesn't seek that money. "While the (attorney general) has traditionally had a state car assigned, I can sure do without it," Van Hollen said in a statement. "It's one small way I've identified to cut costs that allow us to continue to deliver services to law enforcement and our clients." Gov. Jim Doyle has also been working to sell 500 state vehicles as part of his cost-cutting measures to balance the budget. Click here to find a copy of the story on Madison.com. Thu, 19 Mar 2009 09:09:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=21748&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=21748&mname=Article By Mike Johnson of the Journal Sentinel Waukesha - State Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen and Waukesha County District Attorney Brad Schimel on Monday criticized Gov. Jim Doyle's proposed budget, saying cuts to law enforcement would compromise public safety. Doyle, though, during a news conference in Milwaukee later Monday, brushed aside the criticism. "I was attorney general for 12 years. I've had to make a lot of very hard decisions as governor. People can be assured I'm not making the state less safe," Doyle said. Schimel said during a news conference at the Waukesha County Courthouse that Doyle's proposed two-year spending plan calls for a 6.5% cut in district attorneys' budget for 2010. Since more than 90% of the DA budget is for prosecutor wages and benefits, the only place to make cuts will be in the number of prosecutors, Schimel said. The proposed cuts come when the state is about 120 prosecutors short of the number needed to effectively handle cases, according to a Legislative Audit Bureau review in 2007. Schimel said Doyle's budget ignores those findings. "While we are all cognizant of the budget crisis in which the state of Wisconsin finds itself, the budget must not be balanced at the expense of public safety," Schimel said. The state is facing a deficit of about $5 billion in its two-year budget. State lawmakers are beginning discussions of the Doyle spending proposal. "The governor's proposed budget adds further staff decreases to a DA's program that is already woefully underfunded," Schimel said. In response, Doyle said: "This idea that somehow in the middle of this budget they are supposed to get 122 new prosecutors in the state, you just kind of wonder what world they are living in at times." Van Hollen said public safety would suffer under proposals by the governor to save money by releasing some felons from prison early, terminating extended supervision early and decreasing GPS monitoring of some sex offenders. The state budget Doyle proposed last month would allow low-risk inmates to shave off up to a third of their sentences if they followed prison rules. Doyle has said 500 to 1,000 inmates would likely be released over two years, saving up to $27 million. Doyle said Wisconsin is one of only four states in the nation that don't allow a nonviolent offender to earn some time off his or her prison sentence. "The prison guards have been talking to me about this for years. It doesn't give people the incentive to do better in prison," Doyle said. Both Van Hollen and Schimel, though, said that citizens don't support the early release of felons and that Doyle's proposal is contrary to the truth-in-sentencing law enacted about 10 years ago to make sure offenders served their full sentences. Record-keeping debate Van Hollen, as well as police chiefs from a number of local departments, also was critical of an unfunded state mandate in the proposed budget that imposes new traffic-stop record-keeping responsibilities on departments in counties with populations of 125,000 or more beginning in 2011. Elm Grove Police Chief James Gage, president of the Waukesha County Police Chiefs Association, said departments already keep track of the required information. However, the governor's budget proposal would require departments to repackage this data into a new software program and submit it to the state Department of Justice. The departments would have to pay for the software, Gage said. The data would be used to study whether there are racial disparities in traffic stops, according to Van Hollen. Doyle spokesman Lee Sensenbrenner said the provision stems from a move to allow police officers to stop vehicles when they suspect drivers or passengers aren't wearing seat belts, a provision also included in the governor's budget. Under current law, officers can issue tickets for not wearing seat belts only during stops for other traffic offenses. By changing the law, Wisconsin can reap $15 million to $20 million a year in federal transportation funds, Sensenbrenner said. To help win votes for the tougher seat-belt enforcement law, the traffic-stop data requirement was added to the budget proposal to ensure that seat-belt enforcement is being applied fairly, Sensenbrenner said. Some lawmakers, including those in Milwaukee, had raised concerns that the seat-belt law would be used to stop minorities because of their race. Click here to see an online version of the story at the Journal-Sentinel website. Mon, 16 Mar 2009 10:58:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=21371&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=21371&mname=Article MADISON (WKOW) -- A real estate agent working to sell a state building on Madison's Isthmus will appeal the guilty verdict handed down Monday in Federal court. A federal judge found Larry Lupton guilty of trying to get kickbacks on the sale of the $30(M) Department of Administration building on Wilson Street. The guilty cahrges are for bribery, wire fraud and two counts of making false statements to the FBI. He was accused of seeking $75,000 from a broker of a potential buyer and later providing the broker with confidential details of rival bids. Lupton, who is facing 40 years in a federal prison, claims there is no law that prohibits brokers from discussing splitting their commissions as long as no payment happens without full disclosure by all parties. Wisconsin's Attorney General, JB Van Hollen told 27 News, "My office started the investigation into Larry Lupton's illegal behavior. We built this case with the FBI, and I congratulate the U.S. Attorney's Office for successfully prosecuting this case and obtaining today's guilty finding. This is a case of corruption, a case where Mr. Lupton tried to cheat the public contracting system to illegally enrich himself. Fraud like that will not be tolerated. My office will continue to investigate these cases. Now more than ever, as government money flows to contractors, laws against fraud must be enforced." Click here to see an online copy of the story at the WKOW website. Mon, 16 Mar 2009 10:43:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=21370&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=21370&mname=Article By Erik Bilstad Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen won't fight a federal judge's decision striking down Wisconsin's minimum markup on gasoline. "We're not going to be appealing," Van Hollen told WTMJ's Charlie Sykes on Tuesday. The 1939 law prohibits retailers from selling products for less than they paid. Gas stations must tack on 6% over what they paid or 9.18% over the average wholesale price of gas, whichever is higher. U.S. District Judge Rudolph T. Randa ruled in February the law violates federal antitrust statutes. Van Hollen believes an appeal wouldn't be wise. "It's really the job of the legislature to be making those public policy decisions," Van Hollen explained. "It's not the job of the Dept. of Justice, or the courts." A number of lawmakers have asked the A.G. to appeal or not to appeal. "The reality is its time for them to get to work and decide what's best for them and their constituents," he told WTMJ. The Associated Press contributed to this report Click here to find an online copy of the story on the WTMJ website. Tue, 10 Mar 2009 10:39:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=21369&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=21369&mname=Article MADISON — The State Attorney General feels his alternative to the current John Doe Reform Bill on the floor of the state Senate would save taxpayers money and put the charging decision in the hands of the right person. Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen submitted testimony Wednesday to the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Corrections, Insurance, Campaign Finance Reform and Housing supporting John Doe reform. While Van Hollen criticized the existing John Doe statute that allows inmates to initiate a criminal inquest proceedings without district attorney involvement and allows judges to issue criminal complaints, he said the proposed bill is the wrong approach to reform. "This bill's solution to the problem is not to prevent them, but to spend more state and local money and involve more judicial and prosecutor resources to relieve only a fraction of the harm caused by the citizen and inmate-initiated John Doe complaints," Van Hollen said in a press release. The current bill — SB 51 — contains provisions for legal counsel or payment of legal bills for representation of state workers wrongly accused in a John Doe investigation. The bill also mandates that a judge review all reports, investigations and evidence prior to issuing a criminal complaint. Instead, Van Hollen is asking the committee to consider his proposal, which would limit the initiation of criminal inquest proceedings and the filing of criminal charges to district attorneys. "Would you want a prosecutor to file charges and then sit in judgment of those charged? I am sure your answer is no. We should not permit judges to do so either," Van Hollen said. By allowing a district attorney rather than a judge to investigate the case and bring charges, the judicial impartiality in criminal proceedings would be enhanced, Van Hollen said. "In these tight fiscal times, it is all the more imperative to reform bad law in a way that saves taxpayer money and more thoroughly solves the problems existing law creates," Van Hollen said. "My proposal will do that." Click here to see the online version of the story at the Fond du Lac Reporter's website. Sun, 01 Mar 2009 11:06:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=21373&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=21373&mname=Article By Brian D. Bridgeford/News Republic Friday the 13th was particularly unlucky for a Prairie du Sac man after police charged him with possessing child porn and the court jailed him on a $2,500 cash bond. Gerard Raymond Geraths, 25, was in the custody of the Sheriff's Department when he appeared in Sauk County Circuit Court Friday. He faces two counts of felony possession of child pornography with penalties that include a minimum three-year prison term on each count and up to 25 years incarceration with a $100,000 fine. On Wednesday, Sauk Prairie police officers and agents of the state Division of Criminal Investigation executed a search warrant at Geraths' home on Fourth Street in the village, according to a statement by Wisconsin Attorney General J. B. Van Hollen. The investigators seized a variety of items, including a desktop computer, two laptop computers, digital and video cameras, video tapes, ropes, chains, numerous photographs and photo albums. A DCI special agent reports examining a laptop Geraths' said was used by himself and a 17-year-old girl who is described as a victim in the case, according to court documents. Geraths' said the agent would "probably" find provocative pictures of the girl on the laptop, the agent reported. Pictures on the laptop included images of the girl having sexual contact with a man and of the girl dressed solely in her underwear, according to the agent. The judge set a $2,500 cash bond for Geraths' pre-trial release and ordered him back to court March 17. If he bonds out of jail, he must have no contact with girls under 18 unless it is part of his work and cannot use computer devices at all. Friday evening Geraths was still being held at the Sauk County Law Enforcement Center. Click here to find an online copy of the story at the Baraboo News Republic Website Thu, 26 Feb 2009 11:22:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=21046&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=21046&mname=Article Jury Ruled Pharmacia Violated State's Medicaid Fraud Law MADISON, Wis. -- Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen said a subsidiary of Pfizer, Inc. could pay $153 million or more for inflating prescription drug prices. Van Hollen spoke Tuesday, one day after a Dane County jury ruled Pharmacia violated the state's Medicaid Fraud law more than 1.4 million times over a decade. Each violation carries a minimum of a $100 fine and a maximum of $15,000. Van Hollen said that means the company will be required to pay at least $144 million when a judge awards forfeitures in coming weeks. The jury also ordered the company to pay $9 million in damages to compensate the state for its losses. Van Hollen said the jury ruling could lead to settlements between the state and 32 other drug makers it has sued. Click here to find a copy of the story at Channel3000.Com Tue, 17 Feb 2009 11:16:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=21045&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=21045&mname=Article Written by Lisa Loring Daily Kenoshan Thursday, 05 February 2009 MADISON – The Wisconsin Department of Justice recently completed its second Terrorism Liaison Officer’s (TLO) training. 101 new TLO’s participated in the initial certification course and 61 existing TLO’s received in-service training. TLO’s are local fire fighters, EMS, police, county emergency managers and National Guard personnel. The training took place at Volk Field. “Preparing our public service and law enforcement partners in how to prevent, prepare and respond to criminal and terrorist threats is an important part of our mission at the Department of Justice,” said Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen. “Silos of information aren’t acceptable in the public safety world and the TLO program is a great program to enhance information sharing and cooperation.” The TLO Program was created to form a regional partnership capable of a coordinated and focused response to acts of crime and terrorism, based on information assessments and detailed planning. The TLO program provides for one or more points of contact with partner agencies to act as conduits for information and intelligence to and form the Wisconsin Statewide Information Center (WSIC). The effective and timely analysis of credible intelligence information depends heavily on the capabilities of each TLO and support from their agencies. Each TLO is trained on current terrorism and crime issues, trend analysis and proper protocols for receiving or forwarding information collected by field personnel. The basic school is a set of 10 presentations, the core of which is prepared by the Department of Homeland Security. Regional content is added. The inservice training included a briefing on Domestic Terrorism by the Department of Homeland Security and a presentation on the state’s new Critical Infrastructure Assessment system. “We exist to assist is a motto that the Wisconsin Department of Justice lives by,” said Wisconsin Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen. “Often, people do not realize the wide range of highly specialized, highly technical training that we provide to the members of Wisconsin’s law enforcement and emergency service community. We are honored to partner with members of Wisconsin’s law enforcement and emergency services as we work to enhance our state’s security.” The Wisconsin Statewide Information Center (WSIC) was formed after the U.S. Department of Homeland Security mandated establishment of intelligence fusion centers in every state. The WSIC serves as the primary intelligence gathering and information sharing entity for the State of Wisconsin, working with state, local, military and federal agencies. The WSIC produces intelligence briefings for the Governor, Attorney General, Adjutant General and all law enforcement officials throughout Wisconsin. WSIC also serves as the Wisconsin liaison for INTERPOL, which promotes mutual assistance among international law enforcement authorities in the prevention of international crimes. Click here to find an online version of the story at the Daily Kenoshan website. Thu, 05 Feb 2009 07:11:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=20748&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=20748&mname=Article By AARON MARTIN Staff Reporter, Beaver Dam Daily Citizen JUNEAU — A former town of Chester treasurer was sentenced Thursday to five months in jail for falsifying her property tax records. Rebecca L. Day, 38, W6065 Highway 49, Waupun, was convicted of falsely recording that she paid a total of $13,618 in property taxes from 2002 to 2006 while she worked as town treasurer, according to a criminal complaint. She pleaded no contest to one count of misconduct in office and four additional counts were dismissed and read into court records. Dodge County Circuit Judge John Storck imposed three years of probation with five months of conditional jail time on Thursday. Day must also pay $20,000 in restitution to the township. "Day's conduct constitutes a breach of the trust to her fellow townspeople who elected her as treasurer," said Wisconsin Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen in a press release. "It undermines public confidence in the vast majority of local government officials who serve out of a sense of dedication to their fellow citizens." Day served as treasurer for the town of Chester for eight years. In that time, she was responsible for all the taxwork and fund deposits for the town. "I couldn't pay my taxes in these years and so I posted them as paid on the batch reports," Day stated in the criminal complaint. An investigation by the State Department of Justice found that the amount of tax payments Day claimed she received on behalf of the town of Chester did not match the amount received by Dodge County — and the shortfalls were the same amount as the tax payments she falsely posted for her own property, according to the complaint filed by Donald Latorraca, assistant attorney general and special prosecutor in the case. Click here to read the story at the Beaver Dam Daily Citizen Website. Thu, 05 Feb 2009 07:03:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=20747&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=20747&mname=Article Posted: Feb 4, 2009 05:04 PM CST Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen joined 50 Attorneys General in sending a letter today urging Congress to restore federal funding for crime and drug enforcement efforts. A 67 percent funding cut from last year to the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grants (Byrne/JAG) program has already forced law enforcement agencies to shut down multi-jurisdictional drug and gang task forces. The Attorneys General want fiscal year 2008 Byrne/JAG funds restored through supplemental appropriations, and adequate funding levels in fiscal years 2009 and 2010. If Byrne/JAG funding is not restored, police and prosecutors will be laid off and programs proven to assist drug-addicted citizens in becoming productive members of society will be shut down. "The Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program allows state and local law enforcement to fund a broad range of initiatives to prevent and control crime and to improve the criminal justice system," said Wisconsin Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen. "Public safety is the primary responsibility of government, and public safety should have the first claim on the public treasury. I strongly believe that the federal resources provided in the past are being used effectively and efficiently by numerous Wisconsin law enforcement agencies to prevent crime and provide justice for all." Byrne/JAG is currently the only source of funding available for multi-jurisdictional drug enforcement, including methamphetamine initiatives, and is critical for drug courts, law enforcement information sharing, gang prevention and prisoner reentry programs. Byrne/JAG funding supports the operations of 19 Multijurisdictional Enforcement Groups (MEG units) in Wisconsin. These 19 MEG units cover law enforcement needs in 58 counties and all tribal lands in Wisconsin. Most of these MEG units cover rural counties that are too small to maintain a comprehensive drug unit. MEG units are collaborative, multi-agency investigative units that focus mainly on drug crime investigations and prosecutions. Because serious drug crimes often cross jurisdictional lines, the established cooperation and coordination of MEG units is an efficient and effective manner of fighting crime. "In addition, numerous criminal prosecutors in Wisconsin are funded with Byrne/JAG monies," said Van Hollen. "Prosecutors are an essential part of the criminal justice system. They assist in the investigation of crime, they prosecute crime, they seek restitution, they make appropriate sentencing recommendations, and they facilitate victim services. Quality prosecution can save the state money in a variety of areas and enhance public safety." Not only do Byrne/JAG monies support the investigation and prosecution of crime in Wisconsin, these funds also support victims' rights. Counties in Wisconsin operate victim and witness programs that provide essential victim notification and other informational services. At the Wisconsin Department of Justice, the Office of Crime Victim Services (OCVS) administers a program that helps supplant county costs by providing partial reimbursement for county victim and witness services, as a percentage of their operating costs. A copy of the letter from the 51 Attorneys General is available at http://www.doj.state.wi.us/news/files/ByrneJAGSignOnFinal.pdf. Click here to go to find the online version of the story at the WGBA website. Wed, 04 Feb 2009 07:15:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=20749&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=20749&mname=Article By Chris Rizo Legal Newsline.com MADISON, Wis. (Legal Newsline) - Wisconsin Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen on Thursday hailed a decision by state elections officials to perform retroactive voter registration checks. The Wisconsin Government Accountability Board announced Thursday it will do verification checks on voters who have registered since Jan. 1, 2006. Van Hollen claimed in a lawsuit that the checks are required under federal law. "Today's action by the Government Accountability Board isn't ideal," Van Hollen said. "It is never ideal to be out-of-compliance with the law, particularly for more than three years. But I am pleased the Government Accountability Board has now resolved to follow the law." The Republican attorney general had sued state election officials to force them to verify the identity of thousands of voters registered since Jan. 1, 2006, before the 2008 presidential election. Van Hollen's lawsuit was dismissed by Dane County Circuit Judge Maryann Sumi, who ruled the attorney genera lacked the authority to sue to force the state Government Accountability Board to comply with the federal Help America Vote Act of 2002. The law, which effect January 2006, required states and localities to upgrade their election procedures, including their voting machines, registration processes and poll worker training. "When I made the difficult decision to file suit against the Government Accountability Board last September, I did so to try to ensure that laws requiring HAVA checks would be followed. That's my job," Van Hollen said. "The fact is, these election laws weren't being followed." Van Hollen has said if the state was in compliance by the date HAVA went into effect, Wisconsin would have had to cross-check voter registrations against other state data bases from the effective date forward. Click here to see the online version of the story at Legal Newsline Thu, 15 Jan 2009 08:57:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=20461&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=20461&mname=Article MADISON - U.S. District Judge Barbara Crabb Friday afternoon sentenced Jesus Duque Pineda, 23, a citizen of Mexico, to six months in prison for conspiring to possess cocaine with intent to distribute. The sentence was the result of a joint investigation by the Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation-Narcotics Bureau, the Dodge County Sheriff's Department, the Jefferson County Drug Task Force, the Fort Atkinson Police Department, the Watertown Police Department, the Janesville Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Pineda pleaded guilty to this charge on Nov. 12, 2008, and will be deported to Mexico after he completes his prison sentence. The Wisconsin Department of Justice received authority from Judge Crabb to conduct wiretaps for the investigation that included monitoring several hundred calls in which the defendants conducted drug transactions or made arrangements for the delivery of cocaine to Dodge and Jefferson counties. Between May 2008 and June 2008, Pineda conspired with others to possess cocaine with intent to distribute in the Watertown area. Pineda's co-defendants are Maximo Pineda-Buenaventura, Efrain Pineda-Buenaventura, Servando Hererra-Vazquez, Perfecto Pineda-Duque have pled guilty and are scheduled to be sentenced in January and February. Three co-defendants remain as fugitives. “This investigation had a substantial impact on cocaine trafficking in the Watertown area,” J.B. Van Hollen, Wisconsin attorney general, said. “I believe that it shows the level of commitment that the Wisconsin Department of Justice has to local law enforcement agencies in rural Wisconsin in their fight against drugs.” On June 19, 2008, law enforcement officers executed 11 search warrants resulting in the arrest of Bryant and his co-defendants and the seizure of over $100,000, several automobiles and multiple kilograms of cocaine. In addition to the arrest of the above-named defendants, police also arrested Arturo Pineda Lopez, Gerardo Pineda-Soria, Juna C. Pineda, Teodulo Pineda-Buenaventura, Otoniel Mendoza and Eli Torres-Banos. These individuals were indicted by a federal grand jury in a separate conspiracy and are presently scheduled for trial on March 9. Click here to see the online version of the Watertown Daily Times story Fri, 09 Jan 2009 08:40:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=20458&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=20458&mname=Article Posted: Dec 30, 2008 03:50 PM CST Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen announced that a Waukesha County therapist will appear in Sheboygan County Circuit Court on Monday, January 5 at 3:30 p.m. to face eight counts of felony Sexual Exploitation by a Therapist. According to the Wisconsin Department of Justice's criminal complaint, John R. Monacelli, 45, W177N8570 Lynwood Drive, Menomonee Falls, was employed as a therapist at Genesis Behavioral Services, Inc., Sheboygan, a drug rehabilitation facility. In October 2007, Monacelli began individual counseling sessions with a male resident. In the course of the sessions the resident revealed he had been sexually abused as a child. Monacelli advised the resident that "the only way to get rid of the past is to relive it and realize that it was not that bad." Monacelli had the resident perform oral sex on him on at least three occasions. Also in October 2007, Monacelli started individual counseling sessions with a female resident. During these sessions, Monacelli would ask the resident to describe her past sexual encounters. Shortly thereafter, Monacelli kissed the resident and fondled her breasts. During one session, Monacelli exposed his penis and took the resident's hand and placed in on his penis at which time the resident began to stroke Monacelli's penis. At another session, Monacelli had sexual intercourse with the resident. Other counselors at the facility began to notice the amount of time Monacelli was spending with the female resident and began to suspect he was fixated or obsessed with her. In November 2007, Genesis started an internal investigation of Monacelli's questionable behavior. If convicted, Monacelli faces up to 100 years imprisonment and $200,000 in fines. The case was investigated by the Wisconsin Department of Justice's Medicaid Fraud Control Unit and is being prosecuted by Assistant Attorney General Thomas Storm. Click here to read the story at the WGBA NBC-26 website Tue, 30 Dec 2008 08:44:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=20459&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=20459&mname=Article By:Eric Quade Barron News-Shield The Barron County Sheriff's Department has joined the Wisconsin Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force. "We are pleased to have you as a member of the Wisconsin ICAC Task Force and pledge our full support to you as we work together to make Wisconsin safer for our children," said Wisconsin Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen. As part of this affiliation, the Barron County Sheriff's Department is eligible for: * Reimbursement to help fund ICAC related expenses, including computer hardware and software; * Notification of and priority for sought-after ICAC related training, offered both nationally and in Wisconsin; * Investigative assistance from highly trained ICAC investigators and forensic computer analysts throughout the state; * Access to national ICAC email group; * Recognition on both the Barron County Sheriff's Department website, and on the Wisconsin Department of Justice website; "The Barron County Sheriff's Department is looking forward to being part of the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and working with them to make the children of Barron County safer and keeping child predators out of Barron County," stated Barron County Sheriff Chris Fitzgerald. If you have information about a person in Barron County that is falling victim to a child predator or would like more information about this program, please contact Detective Ryan DeNucci at (715) 637-6705 at the Barron County Sheriff's Department. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the founding of the Wisconsin Department of Justice Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. "In the past decade, Wisconsin's ICAC Task Force and Affiliate Agencies have arrested 540 suspects, executed 647 search warrants, and rescued countless numbers of children throughout the state," said Van Hollen. According to Van Hollen, there are over 22,304 internet protocol addresses in Wisconsin containing and offering to distribute known images of child pornography. One in seven children are asked by an adult online to engage in sexual activities, sexual talk, or provide personal sexual information. Van Hollen has placed a priority on law enforcement's proactive response to the growing problem of internet crimes against children. To that end, Van Hollen has directed a 67% increase in the number of special agents assigned to the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force within the Division of Criminal Investigation. Van Hollen's 2009-11 budget request for the Department of Justice includes a request for five additional special agents and criminal analysts to protect our children from sex predators who utilize the Internet to prey on children. In addition to expanding investigative capacity internally, Van Hollen and the Department of Justice have continued to add additional local affiliates to the Wisconsin ICAC Task Force. The number of local law enforcement partners to the Department of Justice's ICAC Task Force has more than doubled to 68 in the past year. You can access a list of affiliates at http://www.doj.state.wi.us/dci/icac/afflist.asp. For more information on how your community can become an affiliate of the Wisconsin ICAC Task Force contact Craig Klyve at (608) 266-1221, klyvecs@doj.state.wi.us or Kris Midthun at (715) 839-3831, midthunkm@doj.state.wi.us. Click here to see the online version of the story at the Barron News-Shield website Thu, 25 Dec 2008 08:49:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=20460&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=20460&mname=Article By Patrick Marley of the Journal Sentinel Posted: Dec. 24, 2008 Madison - The state Department of Justice has issued 15 concealed weapons permits to retired agents, making them the only former state police officers who can pack pistols in public in Wisconsin. Other state agencies, such as the State Patrol and Capitol Police, don't allow their retirees to carry concealed guns, despite a 2004 federal law allowing the practice in some cases. Around the state, there is a patchwork of retirees who can carry weapons because local police and sheriff's offices issue the permits. Wisconsin and Illinois are the only two states that don't allow the general public to get licenses to carry concealed weapons. The issue has been fiercely debated here, with Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle twice vetoing such bills. Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen in June issued the first concealed weapons permit to a Division of Criminal Investigation retiree. He said at the time he would issue them to other qualifying retirees who wanted them and that he hoped his decision would show other state agencies that they could issue the permits too. But the other state agencies have declined to do so because there are no state standards for issuing the permits. After issuing one permit to a retired agent in June, the Department of Justice sent letters to all eligible retirees letting them know the permits were available. Of the 50 or so contacted, 14 said they wanted to get them. They shot on the range in September and were given permits that are good for one year. The retirees have to meet the same standards as current agents, said Mike Myszewski, who heads the division. "I think the program is working very well," Myszewski said. "These are people who spent their adult lives in law enforcement." State Patrol Superintendent David Collins said he had not seen any increased interest for permits from retired troopers since Van Hollen began issuing the permits. Collins has raised concerns in the past about people's ability to make split-second decisions if they've been out of law enforcement for years. Under the 2004 federal law, police agencies can permit former officers to carry concealed firearms if they retired in good standing, worked as an officer for 15 years or more, have met state firearms training standards within the past year, and are not otherwise barred from possessing a firearm under federal law. But some argue such permits can't be issued in Wisconsin because the state does not set training standards for law enforcement agencies. Van Hollen, a Republican, has maintained law enforcement agencies have the power to issue the permits. "I believe it is important to put our money where our mouth is," he said in a statement. "By having the Department of Justice take the lead when it comes to providing one of our own retired law enforcement officers with a permit to carry a concealed firearm, I believe it shows that we have the confidence in local law enforcement agencies in their ability to do this on their own." Van Hollen lobbied for a bill that would have set criteria for police agencies for issuing the permits and given them immunity from lawsuits. Neither house took up the bill before the Legislature adjourned in March, however. John Palmer, 62, retired from the Department of Justice in 2003 after 26 years. Now a part-time private investigator, he said he decided to get a concealed weapons permit but didn't plan to carry a gun often. "I would only be using it when I felt it would be needed for my own security," he said. Retiree Greg Eggum, 63, said he decided to get a permit because it gave him a chance to spend some time with his former colleagues on the shooting range. A former state fire marshal, Eggum said he didn't plan to carry a gun personally but that he was glad other retirees would. "The public is probably going to be safer for it as far as I'm concerned," he said. "I think the attorney general did the public a service by letting his retired officers carry." Among those declining to issue the permits are the Capitol Police, State Patrol, Department of Natural Resources' Law Enforcement Bureau and University of Wisconsin-Madison Police Department. Click here to find an online version of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel story Wed, 24 Dec 2008 08:17:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=20456&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=20456&mname=Article Commentary: Stopping the ultimate nightmare By J.B. VAN HOLLEN Every year at this time, families come together to share in the joys of the season and to reflect. These days provide the opportunity to step back from our daily routine and consider our many blessings. For many of us, myself included as a father of two, our children are our chief blessing. But too many of us will not hear our children's laughter this season. According to the FBI's National Crime Information Center, as of Nov. 1, there were 831 missing Wisconsin children and 264 missing Wisconsin adults. When a child or aging parent disappears, the lives of family members are turned upside down. As an investigation moves forward, the missing person's loved ones may experience helplessness, confusion and desperation. Many do not know where to turn for help or support. Our role at the Wisconsin Department of Justice is not only to provide investigative assistance to the responding law enforcement agency, but also to offer victim family services through the Wisconsin Clearinghouse for Missing and Exploited Children and Adults. Each case involving an abducted or otherwise missing child presents its own unique set of circumstances, and our assistance is tailored to the case. This help includes advocacy for victim families, help in navigating the criminal justice system, and referring victim families to other resources, services and information to help guide them through these difficult times. Children who are missing, whether they are runaways or abductees, may experience problems identical to child victims of other abuse and violence. In order to provide maximum assistance and support for victim families during an investigation, a multi-disciplinary team of experts can help assist victims and families during all stages of the process: when a child first goes missing, during the recovery of the child, and during reunification of the child with the victim family. Supplementing this direct assistance, the Wisconsin Clearinghouse also provides training for law enforcement, judges, prosecutors, attorneys, social service agencies and child protective services. This training, part of a collaborative effort with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and the Office of Juvenile Justice Delinquency and Prevention, promotes a better understanding of the unique dynamics involved in the victimization of a child. The disappearance of a child is the ultimate nightmare; one no family should ever have to endure. And they can be among the most complex and challenging cases for law enforcement to solve. It is the mission of the Wisconsin Department of Justice and its Wisconsin Clearinghouse For Missing and Exploited Children and Adults to help recover these children, to assist those families in need and to protect the lives of Wisconsin citizens so that perhaps next holiday season, more family rooms will be warmed by the sounds of childhood. Click here to read the online version of the story at the Sheboygan Press website. Wed, 17 Dec 2008 10:23:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=20264&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=20264&mname=Article GREEN BAY - Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen today announced the awarding of a $37,790 in state County-Tribal Law Enforcement Grants to the Brown County/Oneida Nation cooperative program. The grant program is designed to foster cooperation and mutual commitment by the counties and tribes to the unique law enforcement issues on tribal lands. "This cooperative grant program has helped tribes and county law enforcement officials to identify areas that need more law enforcement focus on tribal lands," said Van Hollen. "By funding cooperative program plans, these grants allow funding of targeted law enforcement services." The grant program funds a variety of law enforcement services to Native American communities across Wisconsin. Grants have been used for the costs of patrol, investigation, crime prevention, K-9 units and information technology. Awards have also funded law enforcement training, alternatives to drug and gang involvement, diversity training and emergency/rescue equipment. An increasing number of grants are awarded to programs that include tribal police departments, while most generally help pay for services provided by the county sheriffs to Native American reservations and communities. Grant awards are allocated using a formula consisting of three criteria: Native American population; crime rate; and unemployment rate. This year's funding of 19 programs represents the largest number of cooperative plans funded in the 21-year history of the program. Read the online version of Story at WGBA NBC 26 by clicking here. Fri, 12 Dec 2008 07:55:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=20194&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=20194&mname=Article MADISON, Wis. -- Wisconsin Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen has awarded state grants to several organizations that serve victims of sexual assault. Van Hollen awarded $120,000 to the Dane County Rape Crisis Center. It's one of 45 agencies sharing in the sexual assault victims services funding. The money will provide for new sexual assault services in eight Wisconsin counties, including a 24-hour rape crisis response in Dane County. Read the online version of the story at WISC-TV by clicking here. Thu, 11 Dec 2008 11:45:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=20200&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=20200&mname=Article GREEN BAY - Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen announced that on Monday, December 8, 2008, investigators from the Wisconsin Department of Justice's Division of Criminal Investigation, Brown County Drug Task Force, Green Bay Police Department and Green Bay office of the DEA following up on an investigation that began in June, 2008, seized approximately 280 grams of cocaine with an estimated value of $10,000 at 1226 N. Danz Ave., Trailer E in Green Bay, WI. Hector G. Gutierrez-Mercado of 1209 Doty Street, Green Bay was arrested and charged with three counts of delivery of cocaine greater than 40 grams, one count deliver of cocaine between 15-40 grams and one count party to a crime - possession with intent to deliver cocaine greater than 40 grams. Also arrested was Rosendo Alvarado-Alvarez of 1226 N. Danz Ave., Trailer E, Green Bay. Alvarado-Alvarez was arrested and charged with three counts party to a crime delivery of cocaine greater than 40 grams, one count party to a crime delivery of cocaine 15-40 grams, and one count possession with intent to deliver cocaine greater than 40 grams. As a result of an ongoing investigation beginning June, 2008, after four separate purchases of cocaine, arrangements were made to purchase approximately ten ounces of cocaine, at which time Gutierrez-Mercado and Alvarado-Alvarez were placed under arrest and 280.2 grams of cocaine were seized. Both subjects were subsequently incarcerated at the Brown County Jail. Questions concerning this case should be directed towards the Brown County District Attorney's office. A defendant enjoys the presumption of innocence. The prosecution must prove its allegations at trial beyond a reasonable doubt. Click here to read the online version of the story at WGBA website. Wed, 10 Dec 2008 11:48:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=20201&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=20201&mname=Article By MIKE HOEFT mhoeft@greenbaypressgazette.com The Wisconsin Department of Justice has received a $500,000 federal grant to investigate unsolved murders or cold cases across the state. A previous grant to the department led to charges or convictions in four homicides. Local police have several unsolved homicides or missing persons cases. They are asking for the public's help in providing information. As criminal investigations age, witnesses disappear and memories fade. At the same time, new DNA technologies and techniques can provide a fresh look at a cold case, said Wisconsin Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen. "Law enforcement agencies across Wisconsin have too many violent unsolved cold cases which may have the opportunity to be solved," Van Hollen said. Agencies, already stretched for resources, often struggle to keep up with current crimes and may not have the time and manpower to devote to cold cases. Most of the funding will be used to hire experienced retired homicide investigators who will focus on cold case investigations. In the Green Bay area, investigators keep hunting for clues into the disappearance of Amber Wilde. Wilde, 19, a University of Wisconsin-Green Bay student, disappeared Sept. 23, 1998 after a minor car crash. Her car was found a week later at an Ashwaubenon sports bar. While listed as a missing persons case, the Wilde case has been treated as a homicide for some time. "Open cases are still being investigated," said Green Bay police Capt. Karl Fleury. Crews in 2001 excavated a site near Wisconsin 29 in western Shawano County but found no clues in the Wilde case. A detective assigned to the case developed new information and crews returned in December 2007 to a different site nearby along Wisconsin 29. Dogs found no scent and the search was called off. "It's kind of a cold case, but it's still open and we're still looking for leads," Fleury said. Some other unsolved cases that remain open: David Schuldes, 25, and Ellen Matheys, 24, both of Green Bay, were camping July 9, 1976 at McClintock Park in Marinette. Both were killed; Matheys also was sexually assaulted. Witnesses at the time gave a description of a male suspect they saw walking in the woods that afternoon, carrying a rifle. The state Crime Lab found identifiable DNA of the killer on evidence from the crime scene. Recent improvements in DNA testing techniques allowed the lab to determine the genetic profile of the killer. The next step would be to match the DNA to a suspect. Authorities ask anyone with information to call the Marinette County Sheriff's Department at (715) 732-7600. Dennis Wentz, 40, was found shot to death in his car in a Green Bay parking lot at Ninth Street and South Broadway in September 1988. Wentz was last seen alive by a friend driving about 1:30 a.m. on Sept. 16, 1988. He had been bowling with friends. Police found Wentz's body in his locked car around 3 a.m. on Sept. 21. Dawn Mohn was last seen in Green Bay, early Aug. 20, 2000, in the area of Broadway and Dousman Street. She is described as a white female, 5-feet 1-inch tall, 118 pounds, with hazel eyes. She had dyed red hair at the time of her disappearance, but she had been known to have blond hair. Authorities say there haven't been any sightings or contact with Mohn since she disappeared. Areerat Chuprevich, 32, a native of Thailand, was a student at St. Norbert College in De Pere and lived with her husband at the Mariner Motel in Allouez. The last time anyone talked to her was when she abruptly stopped conversing with her sister in an Internet chat room on April 26, 2003. The man authorities considered the prime suspect in her disappearance killed himself in 2006. Erwin Cottrell of Oneida was killed by a hit-and-run driver on Aug. 29, 2005, near Babcock Road in Ashwaubenon. Authorities ask anyone with information to contact the Ashwaubenon Public Safety Department at (920) 492-2995. Mahalia Xiong, a University of Wisconsin-Green Bay student, disappeared on July 13, 2007, after leaving an Ashwaubenon bowling alley. Two weeks later, her body was found in her rental car submerged in the Fox River in Green Bay. Her death has been ruled an accident and a traffic fatality, but the probe into her death remains open while investigators try to figure out how an anti-seizure drug got into her bloodstream. Xiong's relatives have said they think she died before ending up in the water. Additional Facts Crime Stoppers People with information on local unsolved cases can call Green Bay Area Crime Stoppers at (920) 432-7867. Click here for an online version of the story at the Green Bay Press Gazette Sun, 30 Nov 2008 09:25:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=20013&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=20013&mname=Article Posted: var wn_last_ed_date = getLEDate("Nov19, 2008 11:41 AM EST"); document.write(wn_last_ed_date); Nov 19, 2008 10:41 AM CST Madison (WKOW) -- from WI Dept. of Justice: The Wisconsin Department of Justice has completed the training of 55 law enforcement officers who are part of the Wisconsin Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and its affiliate organizations. The training took place on Tuesday. Task Force members received training that included a basic introduction on the Wisconsin Department of Justice's Internet Crimes Against Children program and the resources that are available in the fight against child pornography. The training included CyberTipline Reports. Cyber Tips are reports received by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) on inappropriate or criminal conduct on the internet. The tips range widely from solicitation of children to sending of pornography to children. The tips that can be traced back to Wisconsin are sent to the Wisconsin ICAC for follow-up. Peer to Peer (P2P) Training provided those in attendance with a general knowledge of the technical functions of and use of P2P networks by persons trading child pornography and with a sufficient understanding to obtain a search warrant based on information developed by undercover P2P operations. Another segment of the training focused on Interviewing Child Pornography Suspects. "While a forensic examination of hard drives and other digital evidence is crucial in a child pornography investigation, it should never replace the importance of a good interview and confession," said Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen. "How to link a suspect on child pornography discovered on a computer, and the importance of questioning the suspect about his access to and/or contact with possible child victims is a key part of any ICAC investigation." The training also focused on identifying the basics of a law enforcement interview of a child and the processes that need to be followed for such an interview. The training ended with a discussion of the different types of storage media commonly found during a search. "In the past decade, Wisconsin's ICAC Task Force and Affiliate Agencies have arrested 540 suspects, executed 647 search warrants, and rescued countless numbers of children throughout the state," said Van Hollen. Van Hollen has placed a priority on law enforcement's proactive response to the growing problem of internet crimes against children. Van Hollen's 2009-11 budget request for the Department of Justice includes a request for additional special agents and criminal analysts to protect our children from sex predators who utilize the Internet to prey on children. In addition to expanding investigative capacity internally, Van Hollen and the Department of Justice have continued to add additional local affiliates to the Wisconsin ICAC Task Force. The number of local law enforcement partners to the Department of Justice's ICAC Task Force has more than doubled to 64 in the past year. Wed, 19 Nov 2008 08:57:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=20010&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=20010&mname=Article By Patrick Marley of the Journal Sentinel Posted: Nov. 7, 2008 Madison - As promised, Republican Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen appealed a Dane County Circuit Court decision in his effort to force the state's elections board to perform more checks on voter information. Van Hollen filed court papers Friday with the Court of Appeals but signaled he would later ask to bypass the appeals court and go directly to the state Supreme Court. Van Hollen sued the Government Accountability Board in September, arguing it was required to compare voter registration information against driver's license data for at least 241,000 people who registered to vote between January 2006 and August 2008. Dane County Circuit Judge Maryann Sumi threw out the case Oct. 23, saying Van Hollen had not shown any laws were violated. Van Hollen immediately pledged to appeal, but he said Friday that he had waited to file court papers until after Tuesday's election because he realized there was no way to win the case before then. When he initially filed the case, Van Hollen sought to win it before the election. "This appeal is important," Van Hollen said in a statement. "There will be future elections." Van Hollen indicated he would ask the Supreme Court to take up the case instead of the appeals court, but such a request cannot be made until later in the process. Lester Pines, the attorney for the accountability board, said the case should go through the normal appeals process. He called the appeal unfortunate. "I think it's really not a good use of the taxpayers' resources," he said. "There certainly isn't any evidence that anyone who wasn't supposed to vote voted." Click here to find an online version of the story at the Journal Sentinel website Fri, 07 Nov 2008 09:04:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=20011&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=20011&mname=Article POSTED: 3:17 pm CST November 6, 2008 The state is working with the popular classifieds Web site, Craigslist, to curb prostitution. Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen said Wisconsin is one of the 43 states to reach the agreement. Under the plan, Craigslist will require posters of erotic services ads to provide a working telephone number and pay a fee with a working credit card. All proceeds the Web site receives from erotic services ads will be donated to charity. Authorities said the changes will help cut down on illegal activity and hope the changes will provide law enforcement information that will aid them in prosecuting violators. Click here for an online version of the story at WISN.COM Thu, 06 Nov 2008 09:18:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=20012&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=20012&mname=Article MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen says he’ll deploy more than 50 assistant attorney generals and state agents around the state Nov. 4 to guard against election fraud. Van Hollen said Tuesday the attorneys and the agents have been trained on election law and voting rights and will be available to assist local prosecutors. Department of Justice spokesman Bill Cosh declined comment on their exact locations. The Republican attorney general also has formed a task force with Milwaukee prosecutors to tackle voter fraud cases. He filed a lawsuit last month demanding state election officials verify the identities of tens of thousands of voters before Election Day, but a Dane County judge threw that action out last week, saying Van Hollen didn’t have the authority to bring such a suit. Click here for a copy of the story at the LaCrosse Tribune Wed, 29 Oct 2008 08:19:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=19583&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=19583&mname=Article MADISON – Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen today announced the Wisconsin Department of Justice has been awarded a federal grant of $710,828 to assist in methamphetamine enforcement across the state. The award will allow renewed funding of the Wisconsin Methamphetamine Initiative, the successful program initiated in 2000. “I am pleased to announce continued funding for our state’s methamphetamine enforcement program. Although we’ve successfully reduced the number of clandestine meth labs in Wisconsin, the new problem is the importation of high grade meth into the state from other parts of the country,” said Van Hollen. “This funding will allow us to continue our efforts at reducing meth trafficking and assisting drug endangered children in Wisconsin.” The Wisconsin Methamphetamine Initiative uses funding to assist local communities in addressing the methamphetamine problem in their areas. Efforts consist of meth laboratory mitigation, meth trafficking investigations, a Drug Endangered Children (DEC) program, and a case management system for those agencies that investigate methamphetamine trafficking. The initiative also includes the Clandestine Laboratory Enforcement and Response (CLEAR) Task Force. The task force is composed of state and local law enforcement agents who respond to methamphetamine laboratories, mitigate the hazards caused by the labs, and conduct criminal investigations of methamphetamine traffickers. Because of recent decreases in meth labs in Wisconsin, the CLEAR Task Force is transitioning to a multi-jurisdictional methamphetamine trafficking investigative unit to combat meth imported into Wisconsin from other areas of the country and Mexico. The Methamphetamine Initiative is in the process of establishing Drug Endangered Children (DEC) teams in all of Wisconsin’s 72 counties. The DEC teams are multi-jurisdictional and multi-disciplinary in nature. The purpose of the teams is to assist children found at the sites of methamphetamine labs or in environments where illegal drugs are used or kept. Also funded through the initiative is a statewide case management system that is available to any law enforcement agency in the state. The system allows for standardization of reporting on methamphetamine labs and trafficking cases. All of the services of the Wisconsin Methamphetamine Initiative are provided at no cost to local agencies. Find a copy of the Daily Kenoshan article here Mon, 27 Oct 2008 10:00:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=19559&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=19559&mname=Article Madison Police Department joins the Wisconsin Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force Posted: Oct 23, 2008 02:56 PM CDT Madison (WKOW) -- from WI Dept. of Justice: The Madison Police Department has joined the Wisconsin Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force. "We are pleased to have you as a member of the Wisconsin ICAC Task Force and pledge our full support to you as we work together to make Wisconsin safer for our children," said Wisconsin Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen. As part of this affiliation, the Madison Police Department is eligible for: Reimbursement to help fund ICAC related expenses, including computer hardware and software; Notification of and priority for sought-after ICAC related training, offered both nationally and in Wisconsin; Investigative assistance from highly trained ICAC investigators and forensic computer analysts throughout the state; Access to national ICAC email group; Recognition on both the Madison Police Department's website, and on the Wisconsin Department of Justice website; "We are proud to join the Wisconsin Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and thank Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen for his leadership on this important issue," said Madison Police Chief Noble Wray. "As a member of (ICAC), the Madison Police Department will work to keep our most vulnerable population safe in the City of Madison and State of Wisconsin." Inv. Melanie Hampton will serve as the Internet Crimes Against Children contact person with the Madison Police Department. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the founding of the Wisconsin Department of Justice Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. "In the past decade, Wisconsin's ICAC Task Force and Affiliate Agencies have arrested 540 suspects, executed 647 search warrants, and rescued countless numbers of children throughout the state," said Van Hollen. According to Van Hollen, there are over 22,304 internet protocol addresses in Wisconsin containing and offering to distribute known images of child pornography. One in seven children are asked by an adult online to engage in sexual activities, sexual talk, or provide personal sexual information. Attorney General Van Hollen has placed a priority on law enforcement's proactive response to the growing problem of internet crimes against children. To that end, the Attorney General has directed a 67% increase in the number of special agents assigned to the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force within the Division of Criminal Investigation and will also be bringing on board additional computer forensic analysts to support investigations and prosecutions of Internet Crimes Against Children. In addition to expanding investigative capacity internally, Van Hollen and the Department of Justice have continued to add additional local affiliates to the Wisconsin ICAC Task Force. The number of local law enforcement partners to the Department of Justice's ICAC Task Force has more than doubled to 60 in the past year. Thu, 23 Oct 2008 13:06:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=19517&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=19517&mname=Article Wisconsin state crime lab achieves new record in number of DNA hits Posted: Oct 20, 2008 12:04 PM CDT Madison (WKOW) -- from WI Dept. of Justice: The Wisconsin State Crime Lab has set a new record when it comes to the fight against crime. Attorney General Van Hollen announced Monday that as of the end of September the Wisconsin State Crime Lab had 441 DNA Databank hits (matches) for the year with three months to go. The previous yearly record for the number of DNA hits was set in 2007 when the State Crime Labs recorded 365 hits. A DNA Databank hit occurs when the results of a DNA Databank search allows the Crime Lab to provide an "investigative lead" to law enforcement in an unsolved case. If the search links an evidence profile to the profile of a convicted offender, it is called an offender hit. This type of hit often supplies the law enforcement agency with the name of a "prime suspect" in their case. If the search links an evidence profile to another evidence profile, it is called a forensic (or case-to-case) hit. This type of hit lets a law enforcement agency (or agencies) know they are looking for the same individual, such as in the case of a serial rapist. "Increases in DNA Databank hits occur because we are continually increasing the number of convicted offender profiles that are being added and greatly increasing the number of casework profiles that are being added to the Databank," said Wisconsin Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen. "This is a direct result of the improved efficiencies that we have made in the Crime Labs and the work of new DNA analysts that we have been able to hire." As of July 2008, the national DNA Index System (NDIS) had 6,366,379 searchable DNA profiles. The Wisconsin DNA Databank currently has DNA profiles on over 114,000 convicted offenders. In addition, there are over five thousand casework profiles (5,497) in the Forensic Index of the Wisconsin DNA Databank. The types and numbers of cases that have been aided by the Wisconsin State Crime Lab Databank hits include: 479 sexual assaults 148 homicides (and attempted homicides) 890 burglaries/thefts 369 "other cases" (arson, armed robberies, death investigations, criminal trespass, operating a motor vehicle without consent, controlled substances, etc.) Information gathered in the Wisconsin DNA Databank hits is also used to help track down criminals that may have offended in other states. To date, there have been a total of 312 National level convicted offender databank hits. In 168 of these hits, a Wisconsin convicted offender was linked to a crime in another state. The Wisconsin State Crime Labs are part of the Wisconsin Department of Justice and are located in Madison, Milwaukee and Wausau with DNA analysis work done at the Madison and Milwaukee labs. In the first eighteen months of Van Hollen's term, before all of the new analysts were trained to take on regular case assignments, the crime labs more than doubled the average number of cases worked per month as compared with 2006. In the three months since the new analysts have taken on full case loads, monthly productivity has more than quadrupled as compared with 2006. In the first 10 months of 2008, the State Crime Lab will have worked as many DNA cases as were worked from 2004-2006. "Even while case submissions continue to increase - as they should given that DNA analysis is a powerful science to identify offenders and exonerate innocent suspects - the Wisconsin Department of Justice continues to reduce the backlog," said Van Hollen. As of the end of September, there were 43% fewer cases pending than when Van Hollen took office. "We continue to be ahead of pace towards my goal of eliminating the backlog by December 2010," said Van Hollen. Mon, 20 Oct 2008 13:15:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=19518&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=19518&mname=Article October 16, 2008 Wausau Daily Herald Wisconsin residents have been targeted by a new scam that uses an automated telephone message to try to trick people into submitting debit-card numbers, a state official warns. The debit-card scam had not previously been reported in the state, Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen said in a written release. Victims who answer the phone hear an automated voice message "indicating that your debit card has been deactivated because of questionable charges," Van Hollen's office wrote. "Then, the recording asked folks to ‘Please enter your 15-digit card number,’ tricking people into giving up important credit card and financial information." The scam adds another layer of sophistication by hijacking a legitimate business's phone number that is displayed on caller ID systems. The Attorney General's Office advised taking the following steps to avoid becoming a victim of identity theft and fraud: • Make sure you know why your personal information is required and how it will be used. • Shred discarded personal records and documents. • Don't give out personal information on the telephone, mail or Internet unless you are sure with whom you are speaking. • Pay attention to billing cycles. • Guard your mail from theft. • Do not carry your Social Security card, extra credit cards, birth certificate or passport, except when necessary. • Order copies of your credit report yearly. • Keep personal information in a safe place. If you become a victim of identity theft, the state advises you to take the following steps immediately: • Contact your local law enforcement agency and report the crime. • Contact the fraud department from each of the three credit bureaus: Experian, 888-397-3742, www.experian.com Equifax, 800-525-6285, www.equifax.com Trans Union, 800-680-7289, www.transunion.com • Document and keep records of all correspondence. • Contact creditors for any fraudulent accounts opened or tampered. • Contact the Federal Trade Commission (1-877-ID-THEFT). Thu, 16 Oct 2008 19:36:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=19269&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=19269&mname=Article Wisconsin Department of Justice holds presentation in Wausau to address open government vs. privacy concerns By Brian Reisinger Wausau Daily Herald Wausau-area officials asked state attorneys during a forum Wednesday how to protect the privacy of government employees and get all their business done under public scrutiny. The Wisconsin Department of Justice offered the three-hour presentation in Wausau to cover the state's broad laws on government openness. "I don't think there's a more confusing area of the law," Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen said before the seminar. "Where do you draw the line?" Officials from municipalities and school districts along with residents and members of the media participated, asking questions and taking notes on presentations by assistant attorney generals Bruce Olsen and Mary Burke. Judi Akey, chairwoman of Kronenwetter's Personnel Committee, said she wanted to learn about how to balance the public's right to know with village employees' right to privacy -- one of the major areas of the law attorneys say sometimes allows for secrecy. "Those issues are of concern to me," Akey said. "It can be uncomfortable." Another local concern brought up was "walking quorums," which involve a quorum of members of a governmental body talking official business or gathering information outside of regular meetings, which is illegal. Sorting through those issues is becoming more difficult, Olsen said, because Wisconsin's laws have yet to be revised to account for e-mail and other technology public officials can use to communicate. The Marathon County district attorney's office receives occasional questions about when to post meetings, but neither District Attorney Jill Falstad nor Assistant District Attorney LaMont Jacobson could recall prosecuting a violation. Van Hollen noted that most open meetings or records violations occur by accident, but said prosecution does happen. The best way to avoid problems, state attorneys said, is to consult legal counsel and strive to be as open as possible. "When in doubt, act as if you are subject to the open meetings law," Olsen said. Click here for a copy of the Wausau Daily Herald story. Thu, 16 Oct 2008 11:23:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=19562&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=19562&mname=Article Published - Friday, October 10, 2008 GUEST VIEW: We face unending fight against the meth menace By J.B. VAN HOLLEN While clandestine methamphetamine labs in Wisconsin have decreased by 90 percent in recent years, the availability and use of methamphetamine continues to be a serious problem, particularly in the northern part of the state. Despite diminishing resources, we have continued to fight meth with education and cooperative law enforcement efforts led by the Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation. Meth is a highly addictive stimulant that affects the central nervous system. The drug can be smoked, injected, snorted or taken orally. Chronic use changes how the brain functions and can cause anxiety, insomnia, violent behavior, paranoia, hallucinations and delusions. Users can lose the ability to process information, leading to bad decision making. The result is often violent crime and theft. Meth use devastates families and children. All too often, parents on meth choose the drug over their own children’s well being. Legislation, law enforcement, and public awareness have contributed to the decline in meth labs. The drug is now predominately manufactured in Mexican “super labs,” imported into the U.S. by Mexican drug trafficking organizations and distributed through distribution networks already set up to move cocaine and marijuana. The domestic labs are down, but the drug is still being trafficked and used, and the effects are still being felt in Wisconsin communities. The potential exists, however, for domestic labs to re-emerge as the primary meth production source. Mexico is taking significant measures to control the importation of ephedrine and pseudoephedrine, and some organizations are now finding it easier to acquire the chemicals needed to produce methamphetamine in the United States. Super labs are now appearing in the western United States. As meth manufacturing becomes more difficult in Mexico, it becomes comparatively easier to manufacture in the United States. By exploiting loopholes or creating new production methods, criminals are finding ways around recently enacted legislation that tries to control access to the chemicals needed to produce methamphetamine. While Wisconsin has not seen a resurgence of meth labs, other states are once again seeing their numbers rise significantly. States that had reallocated their clandestine laboratory response resources are now finding that they need to get those resources back to combat meth labs. Wisconsin must not rest on our victories in the fight against clandestine meth labs only to join the ranks of states scrambling to fight meth labs all over again. We must stay a step ahead of the criminals and remain prepared for increased clandestine lab activity. As attorney general, I’ve done that. When the Wisconsin Department of Justice lost over $1 million in expected federal funding that had previously gone toward methamphetamine enforcement — funds that Sen. Herb Kohl fought hard to get and keep — I froze positions and reallocated resources within our agency to minimize any adverse impact these funding decisions would have on our established methamphetamine enforcement programs. Fighting meth is more than cops on the street and hazardous chemical cleanup teams. It’s education as well. Employing these tools together, Wisconsin’s methamphetamine numbers are substantially lower than our neighboring states. Citizens and law enforcement having information about methamphetamine, its effects, signs of abuse and clandestine laboratory activity have greatly assisted Wisconsin’s fight against methamphetamine. We all need to continue to seek information on the changing drug trends in Wisconsin. Suspicious criminal activity needs to be reported so we can stay a step ahead. As attorney general, I will allocate our Division of Criminal Investigation resources appropriately to assist local law enforcement and other agencies that provide support to drug endangered children. I will also work with legislators to ensure that meth users cannot exploit loopholes in existing law. Working together, we will strive to keep our communities safe and drug free. J.B. Van Hollen is Wisconsin’s attorney general. Fri, 10 Oct 2008 17:46:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=19285&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=19285&mname=Article Posted: Oct 10, 2008 12:08 PM CDT Madison (WKOW) -- from WI Dept. of Justice: Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen today announced the award of $52,581 in state Penalty Assessment Surcharge funding to the Dane County Narcotics and Gang Task Force for Calendar Year 2009. This award will be supplemented by an additional $70,545 in federal Byrne Memorial/Justice Assistance Grant funding through the Office of Justice Assistance. "Drug and criminal gang related crime is a serious problem in Wisconsin and I am pleased to help fund the Dane County Narcotics and Gang Task Force in its efforts in the war on drugs," said Van Hollen. "Multi-jurisdictional Enforcement Groups such as these combine the resources of multiple law enforcement jurisdictions to implement multifaceted, cooperative drug investigations." In addition to the Dane County Narcotics and Gang Task Force, these grants fund 17 other MEG Units across the state and three Assistant District Attorney positions to work on drug prosecutions in Dane, Milwaukee and St. Croix Counties. Historically, the statewide MEG Units were funded largely through federal Byrne/JAG grant funding. As those funds have seen reductions over recent years, the state developed the process of supplementing federal funding with state funding. State funding now makes up over 43% of annual MEG Unit and ADA funding. No taxpayer monies are used. Fri, 10 Oct 2008 17:41:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=19282&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=19282&mname=Article METH SUMMIT: Officials meet to gather ideas for curbing drug, alcohol use New Richmond News - 10/02/2008 They gathered to talk about the continuing problems law enforcement officials and the court system are having with methamphetamine addicts in northwestern Wisconsin. It turned out to be more than that. About 50 legislators, district attorneys, sheriffs' department personnel, addiction counselors, social workers and others attended a "Meth Summit" in Balsam Lake Thursday afternoon. In attendance was Wisconsin Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen. The event, co-hosted by State Senator Sheila Harsdorf, St. Croix County District Attorney Eric Johnson and Polk County Sheriff Tim Moore, was designed to recognize the progress that's been made in the fight against meth in the region. Since the state Legislature approved a bill restricting access to products with pseudoephedrine contained in them, meth labs have decreased dramatically in the area. But despite the good news, Harsdorf said the drug continues to be a problem. Meth supplies now come from Mexican suppliers, rather than dangerous labs within the region. Harsdorf said lawmakers wanted to hear from people who deal directly with meth addicts. They asked for suggestions about what the state should do next to try and tackle the problem. Audience members asked for more funding for drug treatment, additional backing for alternatives to incarceration (such as drug court), and greater support for helping children who are negatively affected by living in drug houses. As the 90-minute summit progressed, it was clear that meth wasn't the only drug problem on people's minds. Quite a few of those in attendance urged lawmakers to look at the "culture" of alcohol abuse that is so obvious in this part of Wisconsin. They also pointed to increasing abuse of cocaine and pharmaceutical drugs by people in the region. Lawmakers and law enforcement officials said they would work to address all of the issues discussed. Read the full article here Thu, 02 Oct 2008 16:33:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=18943&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=18943&mname=Article Van Hollen focuses on justice Shelley Nelson The Daily Telegram - 10/01/2008 Prosecutors, public defenders and juvenile justice for 17-year-olds dominated a discussion among local officials and the state’s Attorney General, J.B. Van Hollen. Van Hollen was in Superior Monday to meet with local officials to discuss law enforcement and judicial issues facing the region. “It is incumbent on the state of Wisconsin to be a complete partner … in providing financial resources to assist in protecting public safety,” said Sen. Bob Jauch, D-Poplar, who hosted the session with Rep. Frank Boyle, D-Superior. Van Hollen has held 28 of the sessions around the state. He’s planning to be in Hurley on Friday. “Many times we get down to Madison and we get caught up in the Madison issues and we forget about the rest of the state,” Van Hollen said. “Every city, every county, every region has their own unique issues, and your ideas about what we can do that about them. We can’t rescue you from every problem. Obviously funding is a concern for many things, and we can’t address funding on everything, especially with the budget crisis we’re in, but I think we’ve come out of every one of these roundtables with ideas of things we can do in Madison … to help make your community safer.” Among the issues of concern for Douglas County Sheriff Tom Dalbec was the status of a law that would let retired officers and deputies carry concealed guns and Byrne grant funding to support regional law enforcement efforts to combat drug activity. The federal grant, named for New York City Police Officer Edward R. Byrne, was created by the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988 to pay for personnel, equipment, training and assistance to combat controlled substances. “Since I’ve been in office, a little over five years ... that funding from the feds has been cut by more than half,” Dalbec said. “When I took office, it was more than $90,000 we used to get. This past year, it’s $42,000.” He said in the last two years, President George Bush has put nothing in his budget for the grant funding. “We’re fighting very, very hard for it,” said Van Hollen, who also leads the state’s Division of Criminal Investigation. “It doesn’t just affect you; it affects me. We lost nine methamphetamine DCI positions from lack of federal funding, of which I’m asking the Legislature in this session — where they have no money — to give me two positions so we can at least try to hold our own somewhat.” Van Hollen admitted he didn’t know where either presidential candidate stood on the issue of Byrne grants, but believed funding would improve regardless if Republican John McCain or Democrat Barack Obama is elected. “I believe the push is strong enough that when we have a new president, it will probably happen,” Van Hollen said. “This is incredibly important money we’re talking about,” Boyle said. “As the federal budget shrinks in size and McCain did say he wouldn’t be opposed to freezing all but veterans and military spending on a federal level.” While local officials like Douglas County District Attorney Dan Blank said he would like to see 17-year-old offenders returned to the juvenile justice system, it could be a costly proposition for counties. Currently, the youngest adult offenders are lodged at the Douglas County Jail. Read the full article here Tue, 30 Sep 2008 16:25:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=18942&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=18942&mname=Article Published on September 11, 2008 Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel Madison - Wisconsin Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen sued the state agency that oversees elections Wednesday, saying it is required under federal law to check the names of more than 240,000 voters against driver records. Performing those checks by the Nov. 4 presidential election is impossible, election clerks have said. Clerks started performing the checks Aug. 6 for people who register to vote or change their voting address by mail, but Van Hollen said federal law requires clerks to check anyone who had done so since Jan. 1, 2006. "We're making sure that people realize we're not going to let those in government replace the law with their judgment or their opinions," said Van Hollen, a Republican and one of the state co-chairmen for Sen. John McCain's presidential campaign. Van Hollen's suit would not require the state to take people off the voter rolls if they have incorrect information. People who are told their data are incorrect can still vote, even if they don't correct the information. Van Hollen said not checking those names would lead to vote fraud, but election officials say many records don't match, often because of innocent errors such as typos or missing middle initials. "The stakes are enormously high: Unless this court acts quickly and decisively, the right to Wisconsin's 10 electoral votes (for president) may be determined by illegal ballots . . . ," Van Hollen says in the lawsuit. Congress passed the Help America Vote Act in 2002 to prevent the problems that marred the 2000 presidential election in Florida. It requires states to create central voter databases that could compare voter information with death, felony and driver records. States were supposed to activate the databases by Jan. 1, 2006, but Wisconsin's wasn't fully functional until this August because of technical problems. Read the full story here Thu, 11 Sep 2008 16:48:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=12719&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=12719&mname=Article Associated Press/Appleton Post Crescent Published on September 10, 2008 MADISON — Privacy laws need to be loosened to better protect school children and teachers, Atty. Gen. J.B. Van Hollen told a group studying the issue Tuesday. He outlined changes to state law that would allow police and schools to share more information and increase public safety. Van Hollen spoke before a group of state lawmakers, police, school officials and others who may recommend changes to the Legislature next year. Van Hollen said his proposals, which focused on removing barriers to sharing information, would cost little money but go a long way to improving school safety. He described Wisconsin's law in the area as a "patchwork of confusing and seemingly ambiguous permissions and commands." Many laws were passed as "knee-jerk" reactions to incidences that have created problems, he said. Russ Whitesel, a Legislative Council attorney working for the study group, said that Wisconsin's laws generally were written before the federal school privacy restrictions. Read the full story here Wed, 10 Sep 2008 16:39:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=12718&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=12718&mname=Article Published September 8, 2008 The Daily Kenoshan MADISON – Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen announced the second phase of a public education campaign warning parents about the danger of online sex predators. The public education campaign involves the airing of television and radio spots throughout Wisconsin in conjunction with the Wisconsin Broadcasters Association’s Public Education Program. The campaign supplements the Department of Justice’s ongoing efforts to educate communities, parents, and children about the dangers of online predators. According to Van Hollen, there are over 15,000 internet protocol addresses in Wisconsin containing and offering to distribute known images of child pornography. One in seven children are asked by an adult online to engage in sexual activities, sexual talk, or provide personal sexual information. The Attorney General has placed a priority on law enforcement’s proactive response to the growing problem of internet crimes against children. He has directed a 67% increase in the number of special agents assigned to the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force within the Division of Criminal Investigation. In addition to expanding investigative capacity internally, Van Hollen and the Department of Justice have continued to add additional local affiliates to the Wisconsin ICAC Task Force. The number of local law enforcement partners to the Department of Justice’s ICAC Task Force is 56, more than twice the number as when Van Hollen took office. Read the full story here Mon, 08 Sep 2008 16:53:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=12720&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=12720&mname=Article Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Published on August 28, 2008 By Patrick Marley Madison - One in five people who registered this month to vote provided information that does not match driver's license records, state officials said Wednesday. Many of those mismatches are likely typos or similar problems because voter records are supposed to match driver records exactly. Mismatches can occur in a host of situations — when clerks transpose digits in driver’s license numbers; when people use a middle initial or nickname on their licenses but not when they register to vote; or when they register to vote under their latest residence without updating the address on their driver’s license. Officials said they do not know how many mismatches can be attributed to those types of problems compared with attempts to commit fraud. Election clerks began comparing voter records with driver, felony and death records on Aug. 6, when the state’s voter database became fully functional. Matching the data is required under a 2002 federal law meant to avoid the election meltdown that occurred in Florida in 2000. From Aug. 6 until Tuesday, 4,350 of the voters whose names were checked did not match driver or Social Security records, said Barb Hansen, the Statewide Voter Registration System director. That’s 22% of the 19,470 voters whose names were checked; it includes people who registered for the first time as well as those who changed their address. If people registering to vote do not have a driver’s license or state ID, the state checks the last four digits of their Social Security numbers against federal records. Voters whose records don’t match get a letter from election clerks telling them to correct the information. But there are no consequences if they don’t follow up with the clerks. On Wednesday, the Government Accountability Board — composed of former judges — failed on a 3-3 vote to pass a proposal to require voters to show ID at the polls if they hadn’t corrected mismatched information. Supporting the measure that would require ID at the polls in those cases were board members Tom Cane, Victor Manian and Gerald Nichol. Voting against it were Michael Brennan, William Eich and Gordon Myse. The board said it will continue to perform the checks and ask voters to fix any incorrect information. But it will not create hurdles for those who don’t. The board voted 5-1 on that approach, with Manian dissenting. Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen and other Republicans said the board should require election clerks to perform matches on as many people as possible who were entered into the voter database since Jan. 1, 2006. That’s when states were required to have databases under the federal law; Wisconsin’s database wasn’t fully functional until this month because of technical problems. Read the full story here Thu, 28 Aug 2008 12:14:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=12691&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=12691&mname=Article Associated Press/WISC-TV Published August 25, 2008 MADISON, Wis. -- Wisconsin Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen will host another round of seminars on open records and meetings laws. The three-hour sessions will be held Sept. 18 in Green Bay, Oct. 10 in Eau Claire, Oct. 15 in Wausau, Oct. 28 in Milwaukee, and Oct. 29 in Madison. Read the full AP Story here Tue, 26 Aug 2008 12:03:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=12686&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=12686&mname=Article Hudson Star Observer Published Wednesday, August 20, 2008 Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen met last week with law enforcement leaders, elected officials, community leaders, judges and public safety officials from throughout St. Croix County at a law enforcement roundtable hosted by State Sen. Sheila Harsdorf, State Reps. Kitty Rhoades and John Murtha. “We’re actually traveling all over the state and meeting with the county leaders one county at a time just to make sure that they know in Madison we’re concerned about what they have to say, not just what we think the solutions are,” Van Hollen said. “We are here to represent you.” The sex offender issue was one of the first items discussed and focused on cities adopting ordinances for pedophiles that restrict where they can live. Restricted living areas would include those near to schools, daycares, etc. “The public policy concern is if every city passed that ordinance, there’d be no place for those people to go,” Van Hollen said. Read the full story here Wed, 20 Aug 2008 21:26:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=12685&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=12685&mname=Article RiverTown Newspaper Group Published Tuesday, August 19, 2008 An inmate in the Green Bay Correctional Institution who threatened a Pierce County judge and a former River Falls police department investigator got eight years added onto his 18-year sentence. Today (Tuesday), Dunn County Circuit Court Judge Rod Smeltzer sentenced Bobby Salas, 27, Hudson/Baldwin, to two four-year terms for making threats to a witness and a judge. According to officials with the Wisconsin Department of Justice, Salas wrote a letter to an attorney who was handling another case on March 18, 2005. In that letter he said that he would kill Pierce County Judge Robert Wing and former River Falls inspector Dennis Krueziger. Read the full story here Tue, 19 Aug 2008 12:44:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=12687&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=12687&mname=Article The Daily Telegram, Superior Published August 11, 2008 As attorney general, my role is often to assist those on the front lines of crime fighting. This means support from a number of Department of Justice operations, including investigative support from the Division of Criminal Investigation or State Crime Lab. It also means support in the courtroom. Identifying and arresting offenders is only the first step in the criminal justice system. Local law enforcement is on the front line in responding to criminal incidences and conducting most criminal investigations in Wisconsin. The second step is prosecuting offenders. The majority of criminal prosecutions at the state level are advanced by district attorneys’ offices. Together, police and prosecutors are critical front — line crime fighters. The third step in the criminal justice system is making sure charges with legal merit can be tried and that convictions already obtained are upheld. My office represents the state in felony appeals, whether the matter is a defendant’s appeal from a conviction or our affirmative request to review a circuit court’s dismissal of a charge or the suppression of key evidence. Our role is not only to preserve convictions, but also to support appropriate law enforcement techniques when those techniques are the subject of a constitutional challenge. Read the full article here Mon, 11 Aug 2008 16:38:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=12682&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=12682&mname=Article New Richmond News Published August 11, 2008 Wisconsin State Attorney General, J.B. Van Hollen, said his office has identified approximately 15,000 computers in the state that are being used by sexual predators to exchange child porn and sexually explicit chat rooms. Van Hollen said that at his request the last state budget funded two extra special agents for the state's Internet Crimes Against Children Task force and three new forensic computer analyst positions. Read the full article here Mon, 11 Aug 2008 16:16:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=12681&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=12681&mname=Article Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Published: July 31, 2008 Applicants for state professional licenses will have to verify that they are U.S. citizens or have legal immigration status under new Department of Regulation and Licensing rules that take effect today. Credential forms will include a new section that asks an applicant to certify under penalty of law that they are either a U.S. citizen or a qualified alien or non-immigrant here legally. All new applicants must supply the information, and people with existing licenses will verify their status the next time they renew their credentials, said department spokesman David Carlson. Those who don’t provide such information will not be issued licenses, he said. The requirement stems from a legal opinion last year by Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen that the department must institute a procedure for verifying immigration status of applicants. Read more here Thu, 31 Jul 2008 10:19:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=12680&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=12680&mname=Article RHINELANDER - As with any community around the country, there are many issues that affect us here in the Northwoods. From prescription drug abuse to illegal immigration, law enforcement agencies are constantly on the lookout for those trying to break the law. That's why the Wisconsin Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen is visiting every county in the state to make sure local law enforcement and community leaders have the tools they need to fight crime. Read the full article here Thu, 24 Jul 2008 12:15:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=12679&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=12679&mname=Article MADISON, WI – Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen announced today that a Walworth County woman has been sentenced for a conviction of Felony Neglect of a Patient Likely to Cause Great Bodily Harm. On May 8, 2008, Eileen K. Lee entered a plea to the charge which stems from her employment at Mt. Carmel Medical and Rehabilitation Center located at 677 East State Street, Burlington. Read more here Mon, 21 Jul 2008 18:18:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=12678&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=12678&mname=Article MADISON (WKOW) -- Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen met Thursday with law enforcement leaders, elected officials, community leaders, judges, and public safety officials from throughout Dane County at a law enforcement roundtable held at the Oregon Police Department. Today's community discussion was the 15th in a statewide series that Van Hollen has undertaken. Read the full story here Thu, 17 Jul 2008 13:59:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=12675&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=12675&mname=Article Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen has written a guest column for the Sawyer County Record Read the full column. Wed, 16 Jul 2008 13:53:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=12674&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=12674&mname=Article Milwaukee, WI- Attorney General JB Van Hollen, US Attorney Steven Biskkupic, and other law enforcement officials announced the arrest of 27 defendants in a herion drug conspiracy. Click here to watch Milwaukee CBS 58 coverage of the press conference Tue, 15 Jul 2008 14:38:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=12677&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=12677&mname=Article MADISON, Wis. -- State officials unveiled an expanded State Crime Lab on Wednesday with the aim of reversing the DNA backlog. Wisconsin Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen announced the expansion in the analysis portion of the lab. Read full article here Thu, 26 Jun 2008 13:13:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=12673&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=12673&mname=Article MADISON – Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen announced today the successful arrest of eight suspected criminal illegal aliens or Entry Without Identification (EWI) individuals, in and around Sheboygan, Wisconsin earlier this week. Read the full article Thu, 12 Jun 2008 21:14:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=12643&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=12643&mname=Article Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen has joined 39 other attorneys general in asking members of Congress to retain key tools used to eliminate frivolous lawsuits by prisoners. Read the full article. Thu, 05 Jun 2008 09:18:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=12636&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=12636&mname=Article Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen is leading a statewide public education campaign to raise awareness about Internet crimes against children. Read the entire article. Wed, 04 Jun 2008 17:57:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=12621&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=12621&mname=Article Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen has written a guest column for the Sun Prairie Star. Read the full article. Fri, 30 May 2008 18:04:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=12624&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=12624&mname=Article Republican Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen quietly handed $600,000 back to the state after Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle asked state agencies to cut their budgets to head off a shortfall. Read the full article. Wed, 21 May 2008 17:39:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=12611&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=12611&mname=Article Wisconsin's Attorney General says making online social networks safer for children is a major part of thwarting sexual predators. Read the full article. Mon, 12 May 2008 17:41:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=12612&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=12612&mname=Article Wisconsin Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen on Friday honored the late Chippewa County Deputy Jason Zunker during the annual Wisconsin Law Enforcement Memorial Ceremony held in Madison. Read the entire article. Sat, 10 May 2008 17:44:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=12614&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=12614&mname=Article Wisconsin's attorney general recently delivered a victory for open government. We're hoping it's a sign of more to come. J.B. Van Hollen ruled, in essence, that government agencies can't hide behind other rules designed to protect private citizens when the general public interest is at play. Read the full article. Sat, 10 May 2008 17:42:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=12613&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=12613&mname=Article Thumbs up to state Atty. Gen. J.B. Van Hollen, for issuing an opinion that favors the openness of public records. Read the entire article. Sat, 03 May 2008 17:47:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=12615&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=12615&mname=Article Intimidation of witnesses in violent crime cases is to be more aggressively prosecuted in Milwaukee County over the summer due to a $50,000 grant given to the Wisconsin Department of Justice Thursday. Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen has been working with Milwaukee District Attorney John Chisholm to identify how funds might be used to address the issue of witness protection. Read the full article. Fri, 02 May 2008 17:54:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=12617&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=12617&mname=Article Officials gathered in the Green Bay City Council chambers to discuss various issues on law enforcement at a roundtable hosted by Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen, State Rep. Karl Van Roy R-Howard and State Sen. Dave Hansen D-Green Bay. Read the entire article. Fri, 02 May 2008 17:48:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=12616&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=12616&mname=Article Wisconsin state Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen paid homage to National Crime Victims’ Rights Week at a ceremony Thursday at the state Capitol. Read the full article. Fri, 18 Apr 2008 17:55:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=12618&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=12618&mname=Article Stephen H. Kohl, 59, was sentenced yesterday in Clark County Circuit Court on four counts of First Degree Sexual Assault of a Child and one count of Bail Jumping, Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen announced today. Read the full article. Wed, 16 Apr 2008 17:55:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=12619&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=12619&mname=Article Former city of Superior Fire Chief Stephen A. Gotelaere, 61, will be going to prison on charges of two counts of felony theft and one count of misconduct in public office for embezzling $239,676 from the city’s hazardous materials fund, Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen announced today. Read the entire article. Mon, 24 Mar 2008 17:56:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=12620&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=12620&mname=Article Wisconsin Attorney General J. B. Van Hollen and executive staff have taken an extra step to help assist law enforcement officers in the fight against crime in the Milwaukee area. The Department of Justice unveiled a new office on Tuesday. Read the full article. Tue, 11 Mar 2008 17:58:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=12622&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=12622&mname=Article The number of criminal cases on standby for DNA testing decreased slightly in 2007 for the first time in five years. Read the full article. Mon, 25 Feb 2008 17:59:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=12623&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=12623&mname=Article Wisconsin State Journal Editorial Sometimes you can tell that a politician is doing his job because he's not in the headlines very often. Such is the case with Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen, whose low-key, by-the-book approach so far is a welcome change from the turbulent tenure of his predecessor, Peg Lautenschlager. Van Hollen, a Republican, has made a string of wise decisions since taking office in January. He also has shown he's not the far-right ideologue or partisan opportunist that some had feared. To be sure, Van Hollen is a solidly pro-life guy. Yet he pledged during last fall's campaign to never put his personal views above the law. Sure enough, earlier this summer, Van Hollen issued an informal opinion that Wisconsin's ban on "partial-birth abortion" is not enforceable. That's because it's broader than a federal ban on the procedure, he concluded. Van Hollen also ignored GOP wailing over the University of Wisconsin System's admission policy. He advised campuses last week that they can consider race as one of many factors in freshmen admissions. Yet Van Hollen cautioned System leaders that comprehensive, individualized evaluations of applications are still required. Another positive sign was Van Hollen's decision to drop his predecessor's flimsy and politically-motived investigation into Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle's supposed manipulating of regulators who chose to sell the Kewaunee Nuclear Power Plant. Then there's Van Hollen's principled exit from a state lawsuit his predecessor filed against a Sawyer County cranberry grower. Van Hollen had correctly criticized the suit during his campaign for being out of line. That's because the farmer was complying with all applicable regulations. But when questions were raised about a possible conflict of interest - Van Hollen's former law firm had represented the farmer - the freshly-minted attorney general did the right thing. He withdrew his office from the case and allowed an independent, special prosecutor to take over and proceed. By far, though, Van Hollen's most impressive feat so far has been his ability to secure funding to eliminate a terrible backlog of DNA evidence at the state crime labs in Madison and Milwaukee. Despite a tight and divisive state budget process, Van Hollen has convinced the governor and both houses of the Legislature to let him hire 30 analysts and a support technician. On top of that, Van Hollen lured seasoned and smart former Dane County Sheriff Gary Hamblin to lead the effort to clear the evidence shelves by 2010. Van Hollen is off to a great start as Wisconsin's top cop. The scandals and showboating are gone. Trust in Wisconsin's Justice Department is returning. Keep up the good work, J.B. Click here to view the Wisconsin State Journal Editorial on their webpage. Fri, 03 Aug 2007 14:40:00 CST http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=24105&mname=Article http://www.vanhollenforag.com/site/Viewer.aspx?iid=24105&mname=Article