Hey! we had a recent candidate for WI AG who was much, much worse, luckily, she didn't win.
http://watchdog.org/170788/susan-happ-scandal-abuse/http://www.rightwisconsin.com/perspectives/Roth-Report-Susan-Happs-Graeme-Zielinski-Problem-261915071.html Susan Happ Wants to Talk Drunk Driving?
With just over two months to go to the August primary, the Democratic race for Attorney General is starting to spark some interest statewide. Democrat State Rep. Jon Richards of Milwaukee appears to be the frontrunner after racking up some impressive endorsements. Dane Co. District Attorney Ismael Ozanne’s campaign seemed like it would be formidable given his stands against Act 10, but has largely sputtered.
But in recent weeks and months, it is Jefferson Co. District Attorney Susan Happ who is turning more and more heads. She’s a Democrat District Attorney in a Republican County and has earned the endorsements of EMILY’s List and AFSCME. And perhaps Democrats may be looking more and more to Happ as complement to a Mary Burke ticket that could enthuse liberals, attract independents, and use the war on women hammer.
But in a crowded field with candidates from both Milwaukee and Madison, Susan Happ is trying to define herself and separate herself from the pack. In a glowing editorial in the Cap Times Tuesday, John Nichols noted that Happ was different on the issue of criminalizing first offense drunk driving - an issue that has gathered momentum in the campaign.
But the third candidate, Jefferson County District Attorney Susan Happ, begs to differ. She's opposed to criminalizing first offenses, suggesting, "It's a societal issue.”
That's a significant statement. If we have learned anything from the past few decades of mass incarceration and disenfranchisement, it is that criminalization is not always necessary or wise when responding to societal challenges.
This is not to suggest that Happ thinks the state should have a casual approach to operating a vehicle while intoxicated. She takes the issue seriously, and she has clearly thought a good deal about how best to address it. She points out that first-time drunken drivers face significant penalties: the loss of driving privileges for nine months, steep fines, and major hikes in insurance rates. If a first-time drunken driver injures or kills someone else, the driver faces criminal charges.
Those are firm and, in many instances, effective responses. But Happ questions whether the additional response of criminalization of first offenses represents the right approach. In particular, Happ argues for an approach that ensures drivers who exercise bad judgment will have "the benefit of learning from their mistakes.”
As Nichols points out, on the issue of first offense drunk driving Susan Happ and Republican candidate Brad Schimel actually agree. By taking the position she has, Nichols suggests Happ may have taken the issue off of the table in a potential November matchup.
But not so fast.
"One can’t examine Susan Happ’s position on drunk driving without fully examining how her office handled a very high profile drunk driving prosecution last year -
that of former Democratic Party of Wisconsin spokesman Graeme Zielinski.When Zielinski was pulled over last June in Jefferson County,
he was charged with not only his third drunk driving offense but also failing to register his vehicle in Wisconsin and lane deviation.
But when DA Happ’s office took the case they failed to prosecute Zielinski for a third offense OWI and let him off with a first offense OWI. Zielinski’s first offense OWI in Wisconsin occurred more than ten years ago and another in Virginia apparently had no official records that could be located.
Given these circumstances, one would expect DA Happ to try and make Zielinski pay a heavy price even if he was going to only get a first offense OWI.
But Happ’s office chose to let Zielinski slide on the lane deviation and unregistered vehicle charges."
