OPINION:
Judge Susan “Catch-and-Release” Crawford went easy on a felon who raped a 5-year-old girl. The Dane County Circuit Court judge shouldn’t even be on the bench after letting the man who sexually assaulted an elementary school girl out on a $500 signature bond and then handing down a sentence so light that he is already back on the streets.
Under state law, Curtis O’Brien could have been locked up for 60 years, yet he received only four years behind bars. It is part of a disturbing pattern of light sentences handed down by Judge Crawford, particularly for crimes involving children.
In a sane world, Judge Crawford would face defeat in her upcoming reelection to the circuit court. Instead, she is running for the Wisconsin Supreme Court.
With the help of billionaires George Soros, J.B. Pritzker and Reid Hoffman, Judge Crawford could be elected to my state’s high court. That would give liberals a 4-3 advantage.
Why would these billionaires and radical groups across the nation be so interested in this race? Putting a fourth liberal activist on the state Supreme Court is key to the left’s goal of blocking Mr. Trump’s agenda.
An invitation for a call with liberal donors about the race said: “But winning this race could also result in Democrats being able to win two additional U.S. House seats, half the seats needed to win control of the House in 2026.” Judge Crawford spoke on the call about her background and the campaign. Democrats are finally saying the quiet part out loud. They intend to use the courts to stop Mr. Trump’s plans.
Moreover, the law I signed as governor of Wisconsin requiring citizens to present photo identification to vote will likely be thrown out if Judge Crawford is elected on April 1. When she ran for the court in 2018, she called the law “draconian.” As a lawyer, she tried to get the law struck down.
Declaring the photo ID to vote law unconstitutional, even after it has been upheld in federal and state courts over the years, will likely lead to Wisconsin becoming a solid blue state instead of the closest battleground state in America. Now you can see why Mr. Soros and his cronies are throwing so much money behind Catch-and-Release Crawford.
Liberals have made it clear that they intend to attack all our commonsense reforms. After another liberal activist was elected to the state Supreme Court in 2023, big-government special interests went to court to throw out our Act 10 reforms, which restored power to hardworking taxpayers.
The union bosses found a Dane County judge who signed the recall petition years ago and got their favorable ruling. Now, they are awaiting the results of the April election before pushing the case to the state Supreme Court. Remember, nothing has changed about the law since a federal court and the Wisconsin Supreme Court upheld it. The only thing that has changed is the political composition of the high court. Judge Crawford wrote, “I fought against Act 10.” Her position is clear on this issue.
Playing politics is not what our founders intended from the judiciary, yet that is exactly what is happening in Wisconsin.
Even long-settled laws such as the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program, championed by Gov. Tommy Thompson in 1990, could be on the chopping block with a 4-3 liberal activist majority. The teachers union bosses have long opposed the program and are spending heavily on behalf of Judge Crawford.
Public safety should concern voters in Wisconsin the most. As a state lawmaker, I wrote the landmark Truth-in-Sentencing Act, which could be in jeopardy with an activist court. We assured victims of crime that assailants would serve their full sentences of confinement in prison.
In contrast, Judge Crawford has shown a consistent disdain for the wishes of victims and prosecutors. Instead, she gives light sentences to violent felons. It is why we call her Catch-and-Release Crawford.
In 2020, Kevin Welton was found guilty of three counts of first-degree sexual assault of a child after he sexually assaulted two elementary school girls in a public pool. He could have received a sentence of 100 years. Instead, Judge Crawford thought it was too harsh for this predator and gave him only four years. He is out despite pleas from the parents and prosecutors.
A bipartisan group of 80 sheriffs across Wisconsin are endorsing former Wisconsin Attorney General Brad Schimel for the state Supreme Court. They understand that he will uphold the Constitution and the rule of law while Judge Crawford will be soft on crime and pursue a radical political agenda.
Catch-and-Release Crawford’s agenda is bad for Wisconsin and bad for America. She does not deserve to serve on the circuit court bench, let alone in the state Supreme Court.
• Scott Walker is president of Young America’s Foundation. He served as the 45th governor of Wisconsin.
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