Wednesday, November 26, 2014

Wild Bill Kramer Gets Slap On Wrist For Sexual Assaults

In March 2014, Republican Wisconsin State Representative Bill Kramer, who also was the Assembly Majority Leader, was charged with two counts of Second Degree Sexual Assault for violently sexually assaulting a GOP congressional staffer:
In the parking lot of the High Tide, Kramer shoved the woman against a car, kissed her forcibly and put his hands up her shirt, according to the complaint.

"(The victim) states she continued to tell him 'no and don't' as she turned her head away from him and pushed at his hands," the complaint says.

The woman was "shocked, numb and not thinking clearly" and drove Kramer to another part of the parking lot. When they arrived, he locked the car doors, kissed her again, grabbed her groin and tried to look down her shirt, according to the charges.

The incident "severely impacted" the woman emotionally and led her to seek professional help, the complaint says.
Fortunately for Kramer, the Waukesha County District Attorney was fellow Republican Brad Schimel, who was running for Wisconsin Attorney General. Schimel let Kramer off the hook by giving him a generous plea deal:
Just days ahead of a scheduled jury trial, state Rep. Bill Kramer (R-Town of Waukesha) Thursday pleaded no contest to reduced charges of two misdemeanor counts of fourth-degree sexual assault.

Kramer entered the plea during what was to have been a status conference on the case, stemming from felony sexual assault charges filed in March against the former No. 2 lawmaker in the Assembly.

Assistant District Attorney Debra Blasius said her office will recommend three years of probation, with a variety of conditions, including nine months in jail with work-release privileges.

Kramer, 49, will not have to register as a sex offender, but must undergo a sex offender assessment and any recommended treatment. Sentencing is set for Nov. 25 before Reserve Judge Neal Nettesheim.
The plea deal ended up being better than what Kramer and Schimel had hoped it would be:
State Rep. Bill Kramer (R-Town of Waukesha) was sentenced Tuesday to five months in jail, after pleading no contest last month to reduced charges of two misdemeanor counts of fourth-degree sexual assault.

The jail term is a condition of a three-year probation sentence.

He will begin serving his jail time, with work-release privileges, on Dec. 4.

Reserve Judge Neal Nettesheim also imposed several other conditions on Kramer: He must get a sex offender and alcohol assessment and complete any required treatment.

He may have no contact with his victim. He must maintain absolute sobriety and avoid entering any bars or other establishments whose primary business is serving alcohol. He must pay $216 restitution.

He will not have to register as a sex offender.

Because he was ultimately convicted of a misdemeanor, not a felony, Kramer can serve the remainder of his term in the Assembly.
Not only does Kramer escape any meaningful punishment and keep his job, he will also get to keep his lucrative pension.

Not a bad return for a $500 campaign donation that was given back to him in the end anyway.

It should be noted that his fellow Republican lawmakers did strip him of his leadership role in the State Assembly, but took no further actions against him. They're real law and order types alright.

Cross posted at Crooks and Liars

3 comments:

  1. Birds of a feather - Flock together.

    ReplyDelete
  2. The treatment wouldn't include castration would it?

    ReplyDelete
  3. Justice would be Bubba forcefully fondling Bill's large male breasts.

    ReplyDelete