A former Calumet County prosecutor tells his story, trying to keep his law license. Longtime District Attorney Ken Kratz resigned in October of 2010, after sending sexually suggestive text messages to domestic abuse victims. The Office of Lawyer Regulation seeks a six-month suspension of Kratz’s law license, a complaint Kratz wants dismissed. During a hearing in Appleton on Tuesday, Kratz explained what led to the actions that cost him his job, admitted he is a sex addict, and was addicted to prescription drugs at the time. He said a mix pills took away his filter, at a time he was just separating from his wife. Still, he says that’s no excuse. “There are plenty of people that can either control compulsivity, or even the combination of prescription drugs and that, and so I deserve to be punished,” he said. “Taking Xanax, like from a Pez dispenser, it creates this recipe for apocalyptic bad decision-making, and that’s exactly what happened.”
Kratz said he’s lost everything, and had thoughts of suicide before he sought in-patient treatment in Mississippi. “I think I get it now. I think I understand the impact that my behavior could have on an entire system, and I should be punished for that.” The referee in Tuesday’s hearing will make a recommendation to the state Supreme Court. The justices in Madison will ultimately decide whether Kratz should be punished.
Mike Kemmeter, WHBY
