web01.fireside.fm Tue, 31 Mar 2026 09:52:09 -0500 Fireside (https://fireside.fm) Wisconsin Watch - Episodes Tagged with “Criminal Justice” https://wisconsinwatch.fireside.fm/tags/criminal%20justice Wed, 26 Jan 2022 18:45:00 -0500 The Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism is an independent, nonpartisan and nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that reports on government accountability and quality of life issues, like education, the economy and the environment. It’s more important to us to get the story right than it is to be first and we believe in collaborating, not competing, with other news outlets. Not only can you find our stories on WisconsinWatch.org, but we give all of our reports away for free to hundreds of other news organizations. We are excited to start sharing our reports in audio form and you can find them wherever you get your podcasts! en-us episodic From the Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism Wisconsin Watch The Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism is an independent, nonpartisan and nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that reports on government accountability and quality of life issues, like education, the economy and the environment. It’s more important to us to get the story right than it is to be first and we believe in collaborating, not competing, with other news outlets. Not only can you find our stories on WisconsinWatch.org, but we give all of our reports away for free to hundreds of other news organizations. We are excited to start sharing our reports in audio form and you can find them wherever you get your podcasts! no Wisconsin, news, investigative Wisconsin Watch info@wisconsinwatch.org Wisconsin debates cash bail changes in wake of Waukesha parade tragedy — as some states ditch system entirely https://wisconsinwatch.fireside.fm/wisconsin-debates-cash-bail-changes-in-wake-of-waukesha-parade-tragedy e2e84747-05db-4874-b568-28401de355bb Wed, 26 Jan 2022 18:45:00 -0500 Wisconsin Watch full Wisconsin Watch Wisconsin Watch brings you a story about a revived debate surrounding cash bail after Darrell E. Brooks was released from jail while facing charges related to domestic violence — just days before he allegedly drove through a Christmas parade in Waukesha, Wisconsin, killing six people and injuring dozens. 18:09 no Wisconsin Watch brings you a story about a revived debate surrounding cash bail after Darrell E. Brooks was released from jail while facing charges related to domestic violence — just days before he allegedly drove through a Christmas parade in Waukesha, Wisconsin, killing six people and injuring dozens. Somewhat lost in the debate involving the rights of the accused and protecting the public, Reporter Clare Amari finds: The cash bail system in Wisconsin wasn’t created to protect public safety — only to ensure the accused’s appearance at the next court date. Narration by Wesley Lethem for Wisconsin Watch. Originally published Jan. 18, 2022 at www.wisconsinwatch.org Waukesha, Wisconsin, bail, bond, cash bail, Criminal Justice, Darrell E. Brooks, news, pretrial detention Wisconsin Watch brings you a story about a revived debate surrounding cash bail after Darrell E. Brooks was released from jail while facing charges related to domestic violence — just days before he allegedly drove through a Christmas parade in Waukesha, Wisconsin, killing six people and injuring dozens. Somewhat lost in the debate involving the rights of the accused and protecting the public, Reporter Clare Amari finds: The cash bail system in Wisconsin wasn’t created to protect public safety — only to ensure the accused’s appearance at the next court date. Narration by Wesley Lethem for Wisconsin Watch. Originally published Jan. 18, 2022 at www.wisconsinwatch.org

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]]> Wisconsin Watch brings you a story about a revived debate surrounding cash bail after Darrell E. Brooks was released from jail while facing charges related to domestic violence — just days before he allegedly drove through a Christmas parade in Waukesha, Wisconsin, killing six people and injuring dozens. Somewhat lost in the debate involving the rights of the accused and protecting the public, Reporter Clare Amari finds: The cash bail system in Wisconsin wasn’t created to protect public safety — only to ensure the accused’s appearance at the next court date. Narration by Wesley Lethem for Wisconsin Watch. Originally published Jan. 18, 2022 at www.wisconsinwatch.org

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]]> Wisconsin caregiver spent eight years, $250,000 in legal bills to exonerate herself from abuse charges https://wisconsinwatch.fireside.fm/wisconsin-caregiver-spent-eight-years-250000-in-legal-bills-to-exonerate-herself-from-abuse-charges 41893cb9-d2bb-47f5-b709-f46cb8ae2111 Mon, 03 Jan 2022 16:00:00 -0500 Wisconsin Watch full Wisconsin Watch In this report, Wisconsin Watch presents a story about a Mauston, Wisconsin child care provider who was subjected to a lengthy and expensive ordeal to clear her name after she was wrongfully accused of child abuse by Dr. Barbara Knox. The story is the latest installment of our investigation into the former University of Wisconsin pediatrician whose controversial diagnoses of child abuse continue to reverberate for innocent caregivers and parents in southern Wisconsin. 14:23 no In this report, Wisconsin Watch presents a story about a Mauston, Wisconsin child care provider who was subjected to a lengthy and expensive ordeal to clear her name after she was wrongfully accused of child abuse by Dr. Barbara Knox. The story is the latest installment of our investigation into the former University of Wisconsin pediatrician whose controversial diagnoses of child abuse continue to reverberate for innocent caregivers and parents in southern Wisconsin. Reported by Brenda Wintrode / Wisconsin Watch. Narrated by Wesley Lethem for Wisconsin Watch. Originally published on wisconsinwatch.org on Dec. 4, 2021. news, Wisconsin, false accusations, Dr. Barbara Knox, Stacy Hartje, Flawed Forensics, justice, health, welfare, criminal justice In this report, Wisconsin Watch presents a story about a Mauston, Wisconsin child care provider who was subjected to a lengthy and expensive ordeal to clear her name after she was wrongfully accused of child abuse by Dr. Barbara Knox. The story is the latest installment of our investigation into the former University of Wisconsin pediatrician whose controversial diagnoses of child abuse continue to reverberate for innocent caregivers and parents in southern Wisconsin. Reported by Brenda Wintrode / Wisconsin Watch. Narrated by Wesley Lethem for Wisconsin Watch. Originally published on wisconsinwatch.org on Dec. 4, 2021.

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]]> In this report, Wisconsin Watch presents a story about a Mauston, Wisconsin child care provider who was subjected to a lengthy and expensive ordeal to clear her name after she was wrongfully accused of child abuse by Dr. Barbara Knox. The story is the latest installment of our investigation into the former University of Wisconsin pediatrician whose controversial diagnoses of child abuse continue to reverberate for innocent caregivers and parents in southern Wisconsin. Reported by Brenda Wintrode / Wisconsin Watch. Narrated by Wesley Lethem for Wisconsin Watch. Originally published on wisconsinwatch.org on Dec. 4, 2021.

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]]> ‘Skipping the middleman’: Defendants faced shifting demands in Outagamie County judge’s one-man drug court https://wisconsinwatch.fireside.fm/skipping-the-middleman-defendants-faced-shifting-demands-in-outagamie-county-judges-one-man-drug-court ab263229-330f-419c-903d-2dd4dcf317d1 Wed, 29 Sep 2021 11:00:00 -0400 Wisconsin Watch full Wisconsin Watch A judge says his method met a need, but the self-styled program lacked structure and meant longer punishments for some. 27:14 no Drug and alcohol courts allow defendants to minimize punishment if they remain sober, receive treatment for substance abuse and participate in a structured program. Outagamie County Circuit Judge Vincent Biskupic created a similar arrangement with defendants with a key difference: The defendants were answerable only to Biskupic, who set no date for the supervision to end. The atypical arrangement meant longer punishments for some who failed to meet shifting demands. Reporting by Mario Koran, Phoebe Petrovic, Madeline Fuerstenberg and Jack Kelly / Wisconsin Watch and WPR. This piece was produced for the NEW News Lab, a local news collaboration in Northeast Wisconsin. Story originally published (https://wisconsinwatch.org/2021/08/skipping-the-middleman-defendants-faced-shifting-demands-in-outagamie-county-judges-one-man-drug-court/) on Aug. 28, 2021. Wisconsin Drug and alcohol courts allow defendants to minimize punishment if they remain sober, receive treatment for substance abuse and participate in a structured program. Outagamie County Circuit Judge Vincent Biskupic created a similar arrangement with defendants with a key difference: The defendants were answerable only to Biskupic, who set no date for the supervision to end. The atypical arrangement meant longer punishments for some who failed to meet shifting demands.

Reporting by Mario Koran, Phoebe Petrovic, Madeline Fuerstenberg and Jack Kelly / Wisconsin Watch and WPR. This piece was produced for the NEW News Lab, a local news collaboration in Northeast Wisconsin. Story originally published on Aug. 28, 2021.

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]]> Drug and alcohol courts allow defendants to minimize punishment if they remain sober, receive treatment for substance abuse and participate in a structured program. Outagamie County Circuit Judge Vincent Biskupic created a similar arrangement with defendants with a key difference: The defendants were answerable only to Biskupic, who set no date for the supervision to end. The atypical arrangement meant longer punishments for some who failed to meet shifting demands.

Reporting by Mario Koran, Phoebe Petrovic, Madeline Fuerstenberg and Jack Kelly / Wisconsin Watch and WPR. This piece was produced for the NEW News Lab, a local news collaboration in Northeast Wisconsin. Story originally published on Aug. 28, 2021.

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]]> Judge’s rigorous collection of court-ordered debt atypical in Wisconsin — even in his own county https://wisconsinwatch.fireside.fm/court-ordered-debt-collection 5054b3b4-8942-4807-957a-83dc82cfb9a6 Tue, 17 Aug 2021 13:00:00 -0400 Wisconsin Watch full Wisconsin Watch Outagamie County Circuit Judge Vincent Biskupic has held dozens of review hearings stretching over years to push defendants to pay overdue court costs 15:21 no Over the past seven years, in at least 52 cases involving 46 defendants, Biskupic has used “review hearings” to either monitor a defendant’s behavior or to pressure them to pay court-ordered financial obligations. In at least one case, he went as far as ordering additional jailtime for the failure to pay overdue debts — a tactic the Wisconsin Supreme Court has warned could be unconstitutional. Reporting by Jack Kelly, Phoebe Petrovic, Mario Koran and Madeline Fuerstenberg in partnership with WPR. Originally published July 31st, 2021. Wisconsin Over the past seven years, in at least 52 cases involving 46 defendants, Biskupic has used “review hearings” to either monitor a defendant’s behavior or to pressure them to pay court-ordered financial obligations. In at least one case, he went as far as ordering additional jailtime for the failure to pay overdue debts — a tactic the Wisconsin Supreme Court has warned could be unconstitutional.

Reporting by Jack Kelly, Phoebe Petrovic, Mario Koran and Madeline Fuerstenberg in partnership with WPR. Originally published July 31st, 2021.

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]]> Over the past seven years, in at least 52 cases involving 46 defendants, Biskupic has used “review hearings” to either monitor a defendant’s behavior or to pressure them to pay court-ordered financial obligations. In at least one case, he went as far as ordering additional jailtime for the failure to pay overdue debts — a tactic the Wisconsin Supreme Court has warned could be unconstitutional.

Reporting by Jack Kelly, Phoebe Petrovic, Mario Koran and Madeline Fuerstenberg in partnership with WPR. Originally published July 31st, 2021.

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