Brad Schimel, the Republican candidate for Wisconsin Attorney General was having a very bad week last week, so the Wisconsin Republican Party decided to step in and help their guy out.
Susan Happ should be making sure that repeat criminal offenders have increased attention by public safety officials in order to prevent future incidents. Unfortunately, her soft-on-crime record indicates she does not hold this basic criminal justice philosophy. In August 2009 as Jefferson County District Attorney, Happ charged Christopher Hamlin with multiple felonies related to an incident in Watertown, which required the help of the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Department Bomb Squad, before Happ abruptly dropped the case.
Facing a potential maximum sentence of 20 years, Christopher Hamlin was charged with two Class H Felonies – Possession of an Improvised Explosive and Possession of Illegally Obtained Prescription Drugs. Hamlin was charged as a repeat offender as a result of having been previously convicted of a felony, but Happ failed to see the case through. In fact, she suddenly dropped the case less than a month after it was filed.
“It is alarming that Happ abruptly dismissed charges on an intoxicated individual who possessed a pipe bomb with unknown intentions, ignoring grave public safety concerns,” said Joe Fadness, Executive Director of the Republican Party of Wisconsin. “Voters should take note of these troubling cases within Susan Happ’s soft-on-crime record, as they have potential drastic consequences on Wisconsin’s communities.”
However, WISGOP forgot a couple, three things.
One, they forgot that Schimel shown himself to be soft on crime by refusing to prosecute another Republican who admitted to destroying evidence in the ongoing John Doe investigation into Scott Walker.
Another thing they forgot was that the guy that Happ supposedly let go is currently serving a seven year jail term in federal prison:
A 21-year-old Waterloo man has been sentenced to seven years in federal prison for possessing a pipe bomb.
Christopher Hamlin was sentenced on Thursday by U.S. District Judge Barbara Crabb in federal court in Madison.
He pleaded guilty to charges in December, according to a release from the U.S. Department of Justice.
WISGOP and Schimel also forgot that when Happ dismissed the charges, she went on record referencing the federal conviction and how her office had worked with the feds on the case.
Maybe they forgot the last part because Schimel has said he would fight the feds on things like Obamacare.
I don't know, but I would think that someone who works with the feds to put dangerous criminals away would be a better choice for Attorney General than a corrupt fool. But then again, I'm not a Republican.
