Jurors selected for Judge Dugan trial to start Monday (MILWAUKEE)
A jury is seated for the federal court trial of a Milwaukee County judge beginning Monday. Nine men and five women will hear the case against Judge Hannah Duggan, who’s accused of assisting an undocumented immigrant elude ICE agents outside her courtroom this past April. That man was taken into custody a short time later. Dugan was arrested by the FBI the following week and charged with two felony counts of obstruction and concealing an individual. In May, her attorneys moved to dismiss the case on the basis of judicial immunity. In August, federal Judge Lynn Adelman declined to dismiss the charges, and trial was set for December 15.
Geyser back at state hospital as prosecutors seek release revocation (WAUKESHA)
Morgan Geyser is back in custody at a state hospital. Geyser was returned to Winnebago State Mental Health Institute over two weeks after her escape from a Madison area group home. She is still technically on conditional release, but prosecutors are asking a Waukesha County judge to revoke that status. Geyser had been at Winnebago since her 2018 conviction for her role in the 2014 Slenderman stabbing in Waukesha. She was placed at the Madison group home in July and made a brief escape last month after cutting off a GPS monitoring bracelet and traveling to Illinois. If her release is revoked, Geyser will continue her 40-year sentence at Winnebago.
Gablemann continues his call for liberal Justices to bow out of hearing against him (MADISON)
Former state supreme court justice Mike Gablemann is continuing to call for liberal Justices to recuse themselves from ruling on a complaint against him. Gablemann is facing a 10 count complaint from the state Office of Lawyer Regulation for his actions in and out of court in connection with a failed voter fraud investigation into the 2020 presidential election. The Wisconsin Supreme Court has to review a deal with O L R where Gablemann would lose his law license for three years, and Gablemann wants Justices Janet Protasiewicz and Rebecca Dallet to step away from the case. Both were public with criticism against Gablemann while they were running for office, and both said that does not impede their ability to rule on the case.
Free venison in the Madison area, with a very large caveat (MADISON)
Maybe don’t take this hunter up on their offer of free venison. A post circulating on social media Thursdays says there’s 20 pounds of frozen ground venison up for the taking in Verona. The only issue is that it tested positive for chronic wasting disease. The owner of said meat has been clipped from the image, and that’s probably for the best. Health experts recommend against consuming C W D tainted meat for fear of contracting the brain infection that cripples and kills deer. The poster claimed they weren’t going to eat it either.
Wisconsin hospitals provided $2.2 billion in community benefits last year (UNDATED)
Wisconsin hospitals provided $2.2 billion in community benefits last year. A new report from the Wisconsin Hospital Association shows that contributions include charity care, subsidized services, health professions education and investments in behavioral health. $380 million went towards health professions education while another $220 million went towards charity care. The report also shows the financial pressures hospitals in Wisconsin are facing, including that one in four Wisconsin hospitals reported operating with negative margins due to rising costs, workforce shortages, and inadequate Medicaid reimbursement.
Department of Justice unveils Overdose Death Initiative (UNDATED)
The Wisconsin Department of Justice announces the Overdose Death Initiative. DOJ says the initiative’s mission is to investigate opioid overdoses and deaths, aiming to identify and apprehend people directly responsible for the distribution of opioids that lead to deaths. Attorney General Josh Kaul says the initiative shows the kind of impact that can be made through collaborative investigations that relate to overdoses. So far, the initiative has investigated 21 cases, leading to 58 arrests and 10 reckless homicide charges.
Soccer League schedule has no team from Milwaukee (MILWAUKEE)
The United Soccer League will not have a team in Milwaukee next season. The league announced its 2026 competition format with 25 clubs playing 30 games each — and no mention of a team in Milwaukee. This as the land for the team’s stadium continues to sit empty near the Marquette University campus. Officials with the club have been silent since the spring of 2023, when they announced they would delay entry into the USL by one year. Many believe it’s now unlikely that the team will ever kick off, leaving the Milwaukee Wave indoor soccer team as the only pro game in town.
Additional charge for former teacher accused of molesting student (BELOIT)
A former Beloit Memorial High School teacher accused of molesting a teenage student in 2013 or 2014 has an additional charge filed against him. 61-year-old Andre DeKok appeared before Rock County Court Commissioner Mason Braunschweig on Thursday, where a charge of child enticement was added. The Class D felony is punishable by up to a $100,000 fine and or 25 years in prison. DeKok had already faced charges of child enticement and sexual assault of a student by school staff. He’s due back due back in court on December 22nd and is currently held in the Green County Jail on a $500,000 cash bond.