The Milwaukee Post

8 • Milwaukee County Post • April 14, 2017 Sean Ottow may have a drinking problem but he's sober enough to know how to out- maneuver an addled Waukesha County court commissioner. The problem is Ottow's ability to game the system may get someone killed. His case is not unique. It is the same problem plaguing Milwaukee County with its epidemic of carjackings and robberies being committed by people already caught for doing the same thing over and over. Ottow was arrested in Waukesha County and charged in September of last year with fourth-offense operating while intoxicated. The 51-year old Waukesha man has a lengthy arrest record, mostly dealing with driving and drug charges. Fourth offense is where the punishment for OWI starts get- ting serious. But here's the giant catch being exploited by Ottow and hundreds of other accused criminals in southeastern Wisconsin: You don't get locked up until you're convicted. You can do a whole lot of bad in the interim. But even by those stan- dards, the Ottow case is appalling and shows a disgraceful disregard for public safety by Waukesha County officials who are making fools of themselves. After Ottow's charging in September, Court Commissioner Martin Binn set nomi- nal cash bail at $600. Court commissioners work for circuit judges and do things like bail hearings. You'd think that would make them good at it. Evidently not. Ottow posted his bail and — voila — seven months later was arrested again for driving while intoxicated. According to the latest criminal complaint, Ottow registered 0.19 on the drunk-o-meter after a witness saw his vehicle parked near the tracks along Broadway in Waukesha. Ottow, according to the criminal complaint, fessed up that he was at the Brewers Opening Day game and a tavern after that. He was charged with fifth- offense OWI. That's now a felony in Wisconsin and usually results in prison time. He was also accused of bail jumping because one of the conditions on the bail set by Binn back in September was no drinking. This is where the disgrace gets disgrace- ful. Ottow was brought into court last week. The Waukesha County District Attorney's Office sent, as is its custom, an intern. Evidently the actual prosecutors can't be bothered for bail hearings on repeat drunk- en drivers who drive drunk while on bail for drunken driving. The court commissioner this time around was Molly Jasmer. Jasmer has been a commissioner for a mere two months. She was a defense attor- ney before that. She apparently hasn't fig- ured out her new job doesn't mean enabling criminals. The intern asked that the new bail be set at $5,000. Commissioner Molly said nope. $1,500. Ottow posted it the next day. He's out of jail again. There may be lots of definitions of insani- ty but this case seems seems to define it. Sean Ottow now has two pending repeat OWI charges facing him and is likely headed to prison. In the meantime, he's free to drink — and drive — again. With nothing to lose, what are the chances Ottow will do it again? Let's hope his conscience is his guide because we can't depend on Molly Jasmer to stop him. It gets worse. Really. Ottow is planning to plead guilty in a few weeks to the fourth- offense OWI. He also violated the terms of his bail on the fourth-offense OWI. Yet Jasmer ignored the intern's recommenda- tion and let Ottow bail out again for basic chump change. After I reported on this on my radio show, one of the assistant district attorneys in Waukesha County with a sense of duty, Michele Hulgaard, went into Jasmer's court Friday and asked that Jasmer reconsider her bail decision. Jasmer dug in her heels. Nope, she said; Ottow is in compliance with his bail requirements, she claimed. But he's not in compliance with his bail from the fourth offense. That case, in front of Judge Lloyd Carter, still has the original $600 bail and, according to Wisconsin Community Services, Ottow's most recent arrest is a vio- lation of his bail term from the case. Sean Ottow obviously has issues and a person who gets nailed for OWI twice in seven months is a ticking time bomb. But he is running rings around Molly Jasmer. If Ottow gets arrested this week, what bail will Jasmer set? $2000? Waukesha County District Attorney Sue Opper, who couldn't bring herself to criti- cize another public official if her life depended on it, refused to condemn Jasmer. (Waukesha County could use a David Clarke. We haven't heard a peep about this from Sheriff Eric Severson.) But Opper did say the purpose of bail is not to punish but to ensure the defendant shows up for court. True. But the severity of the crime is always factored into bail determinations. Jasmer clearly doesn't think fifth-offense OWI is serious and by, her own actions, doesn't think Ottow is a problem even though he is accused of committing crimes while await- ing sentencing for committing other crimes. In Milwaukee County, teenagers on bail are committing carjackings. Felons await- ing sentencing are committing crimes because they are able to post bail and stay free in the months between their charging and sentencing. It is a crisis. The judges and court commissioners are being played by dangerous criminals. Nobody has been played worse than Jasmer. (Mark Belling is the host of a daily WISN radio talk show. His column appears weekly in the Milwaukee Post. Send your personal correspondences to Mark Belling at Clear Channel Communications, c/o WISN, 12100 W. Howard Ave., Greenfield, WI 53228). MARK BELLING STANDING UP for MILWAUKEE Court official allows drunk to keep driving OPINION Last week's question The spring nonpartisan election was held on the first Tuesday in April, as usual, in Wisconsin. Do you think nonpartisan elections should not fall along party lines or why pretend they're not partisan? Or, do you have any special Easter traditions or memories? (Answer only one.) Millionaire County Executive Chris Abele sees no problem sticking the working man with a $60 wheel tax, but what he really should do to fund the buses is take the percentage of the county tax rate that they have now and bring it up to an even penny amount, and no one would complain about that, and dedicate it only for bus funding. That's what would solve the problem. They can stick us for a stadium and they can stick us for the arena.Why not have that little bit and dedicate it for bus? — Joe Kaebisch Cudahy *** When I was a child it was presumed you would wear your very best to Easter church service. Often one's attire included something new. I always looked forward to getting a new Easter bonnet. Every couple of years my father would take me downtown to a depart- ment store called Chapman's.There we would be led to a little cove in the store with pretty furniture, mirrors and tons of hats. A nice lady would usually seat me by a mirror and bring out a parade of hats for me to try on. They were made of straw decorated with either berries or flowers and usually had long ribbons down the back. Tomboy that I was, I still felt like a princess in that chair, and a proper lit- tle lady on Easter Sunday with my new hat and gloves. — Sandy Sue Szanderek Bay View This week's question In a nonbinding referendum, 72 percent of the voters this month voted against increasing the Milwaukee County wheel tax to $60. Do you think the County Board and county executive will follow the advice? Editor's note: When responding to the Question of the Week, please include your full name with spelling, phone number and city where you live. Phone numbers will not be published. Anonymous responses are no longer accepted by the publication. Call 744- 6370, Ext. 15 and leave a brief answer. Readers may also send an email with a brief answer to: dmuck@conleynet.com. Question of the week Send your letters to: The Milwaukee Post, c/o Dan Muckelbauer, 3397 S. Howell Ave., Milwaukee, WI 53207, or by email to: dmuck@conleynet.com. We reserve the right to edit letters for style, length and clarity. Letters should be typewritten or printed and include full name, phone number and address. Please keep your letters to no more than 400 words. Letters policy

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