Milwaukee man charged, accused of violently attacking 99-year-old woman inside her home

 By: CBS 58 Newsroom

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- Macias made his initial appearance in Milwaukee County Court on Saturday, August 1, where a Judge set a $150,000 cash bond for the defendant. 

Milwaukee County Circuit Court

The judge also issued a no contact order, and ordered Macias to maintain absolute sobriety, and said he could be in no possession of dangerous weapons or firearms.

Macias is due back in court Friday, August 7, for a preliminary hearing.

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Woman who is mentally ill assaulted at group home, complaint says

Man who identifies as female charged with sex crime at facility for women where he also lived

 

By BILL SCHANEN IV

A 33-year-old resident of a Town of Port Washington group home for women under protective guardianships is accused in Ozaukee County Circuit Court of sexually assaulting another resident of the facility earlier this year.

Madison E. Robison was charged on July 10 with second-degree sexual assault of a person with a mental illness and is being held in the county jail in lieu of $50,000 bail.

According to a criminal complaint, Robison identifies as a female but is a biological male who is listed as such on government records. The complaint refers to Robison as a man.

On July 4, Ozaukee County sheriff’s deputy Kendra Carter was called to 33 Fields, a group home for women on Highway 33 where Robison lived with women with mental disabilities, to investigate a report from a citizen that Robison posted a video online that referenced sexual activity and had taken advantage of a resident of the facility, the complaint states.

Carter interviewed a resident of the home who is under protective guardianship and diagnosed with cognitive developmental delay, autism spectrum disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and generalized anxiety disorder. Staff members said she has the mental capacity of a person who is 6 or 7 years old and produced documentation that shows the woman is classified as a vulnerable adult who “may not understand a potential threat from others,” according to the complaint.

When questioned by Carter, the woman repeatedly denied having sex with Robison, who she referred to as a woman, but said, “I don’t like Madison bullying me,” the complaint states.

When Carter asked the woman if she knows what sex is, she replied, “It’s like when you have sex with someone and they want to, like, hurt, kind of want to hurt you.” She also said, “Sex is they say I love you. They want to be like a friend,” according to the complaint.

The woman said that although Robison has long hair like a woman she knows he has male anatomy. When asked by Carter if Robison had intercourse with her, the woman began to cry and said, “I mean, like, it was only one time. I mean that’s it,” the complaint states.

Carter than asked the woman if she wanted to have sex with Robison and she said, “No, I mean I told Madison to stop doing that because ... she was doing it hard on me. I told Madison to stop, but Madison wouldn’t stop,” adding that the incident occurred in Robison’s room in the basement of the group home, according to the complaint.

The woman said she is scared of Robison and had been staying in her room to avoid him. A group home staff member confirmed this and said Robison arrived at the group home on March 11. The complaint alleges the sexual assault occurred between March and July.

Carter talked to another woman at the group home who is under a protective guardianship and diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder, has intellectual disabilities and suffers from selective mutism due to anxiety. She is at risk for self-harm and is not allowed to be in the group home without a staff member present.

This woman told the deputy that she and Robison had sexual intercourse in the basement of the group home but it was consensual, the complaint states.

She said, “We had sex. Then he said that it was both consensual. We both agreed to this. There’s nothing wrong,” according to the complaint.

The woman said Robison asked her if she fantasizes about him and told her he loved her. She said Robison also talked about wanting to have sex with the woman he is accused of assaulting, the complaint states.

Robison admitted to having sex with the woman who said it was consensual and told Carter, “Me and a housemate, we consented on it. I don’t know who would say it was assault, but it was basically consent,” according to the complaint. 

Full Article & Source:
Woman who is mentally ill assaulted at group home, complaint says 

Nekoosa woman gets 8 years probation for theft from elderly AZ woman

Wood County Circuit Judge Timothy Gebert also ordered Janice Christiansen to pay $82,438 restitution after stealing from an 82-year-old Tucson, Arizona, woman.

by Karen Madden

Key Points

• A 65-year-old Nekoosa woman was sentenced to eight years of probation for stealing more than $59,000 from an elderly Arizona woman.
• The woman, who had power of attorney, used the funds for personal expenses, including ATM withdrawals at casinos.
• The theft resulted in the 82-year-old victim facing eviction from her assisted-living facility due to unpaid bills.
• As part of her sentence, the woman must pay $82,438 in restitution and is barred from serving as a power of attorney for anyone but her spouse.

WISCONSIN RAPIDS − A 65-year-old Nekoosa woman was sentenced April 10 to eight years of probation and must pay $82,438 restitution for stealing from an elderly Arizona woman's account.

Janice A. Christiansen pleaded guilty April 10 to theft in a business setting. Wood County Circuit Judge Timothy Gebert withheld a prison sentence and placed Christiansen on probation. He ordered her to pay $82,438 restitution, with $5,000 to be paid by May 11 and $500 a month to be paid starting June 1. Gebert also ordered Christiansen to undergo any counseling deemed necessary, have no contact with the victim and not to serve as a guardian or power of attorney for anyone other than her spouse.

According to the criminal complaint, on Nov. 10, an investigator from the state of Arizona contacted the Wood County Sheriff's Office and said she was investigating fraudulent spending from an 82-year-old Tucson, Arizona, woman's bank account. The woman has dementia and is in an assisted-living community, the investigator said.

The investigator said Christiansen had been spending money out of the woman's personal account for about two years, dating back to about June 1, 2023. The investigator said a check for $10,500 was written on the account, as well as ATM withdrawals at machines at the Ho-Chunk Casino and White-Tail Crossing in Nekoosa. The total amount was between $20,000 and $30,000.

Officials learned Christiansen had the woman's "power of attorney," according to the complaint. The automatic payments to the woman's assisted-living center had been turned off and a check written to the facility had bounced. Notice of termination of the 82-year-old woman's patient status with the center was given because she was about $32,000 past due, according to the complaint.

Officials chose a random month, May 2024, to look closely at transactions. During the month, they found 17 cash withdrawals all made in Wood County, according to the complaint. No withdrawals were made in Arizona. 

The total amount of Christiansen's withdrawals from the elderly woman's account minus deposits she made from June 25, 2023, to Feb. 3, 2025, was $59,410, according to the complaint.

Christiansen told investigators she and her husband got to know the older woman when the couple was going down to Arizona during the winter for seven years. Christiansen said she and her husband stopped going to Arizona about three years ago. Christiansen said the woman asked her to become her power of attorney, according to the complaint.

Christiansen said she struggled to pay the elderly woman's rent because the woman received $4,000 a month income and rent was about $3,500, according to the complaint. The investigator went over the woman's monthly expenses and income with Christiansen and she agreed there should be a monthly surplus of about $270, according to the complaint.

Christiansen said the facility had increased the rates. She called them several times to try to verify the rent but she couldn't get the information, she said. Christiansen said she became confused about how much the rent was and how much back pay was owed, according to the complaint.

Investigators learned Christiansen had lost $150,000 gambling at a casino. Christiansen said she didn't believe the whole amount she lost came from the older woman's account. When the investigator asked Christiansen how much she thought she had taken from the woman, Christiansen said she didn't know but she thought it might be between $50,000 and $60,000.

Full Article & Source:
Nekoosa woman gets 8 years probation for theft from elderly AZ woman 

Streamwood woman says brother took more than $430,000 from elderly parents' financial accounts

By Carol Thompson, Dorothy Tucker

Cathy Solway remembers a promise made with her brother to take care of their aging parents when their health began to decline and they moved into assisted living: "We're gonna take care of mom and dad as a team. We're gonna do this together." 

But then she made a discovery that changed everything.

"I left the bank, sat in my car and about had a complete breakdown from what I was seeing. A lot less money than I knew should have been in that account," she said.

Growing up

Cathy Solway and her brother, Robert Carlson, grew up in suburban Streamwood.

"We had a pretty great childhood. My brother and I were pretty happy growing up," she said.

Their parents, William and Caroline Carlson, got married in 1958 and raised their family in a modest house.

"My mom was a stay-at-home mom. She was the room mom. My dad worked hard, but they never missed anything that we were involved in," said Solway.

William Carlson served in the Air Force as a young man. After his stint in the military, he worked for United Airlines, the FAA and the Village of Streamwood. He worked practically his entire life, his daughter said.

"He was getting a decent amount of retirement benefits," said Solway.

But then came the official word her parents' health was declining.

"They both were just not able to take care of themselves," she said. "They both were in various stages of Alzheimer's. They were diagnosed in 2017 to 2019."

In 2022 the family decided to move them into assisted living, first at an Illinois facility and then into a Wisconsin facility, closer to her brother Robert.

"And my brother was like, 'You know, I'm going to make sure that their finances are taken care of and, you know, we'll make sure that their bills are paid for the house.' They still had the house that they had lived in," Solway said. 

Solway knew her parents had enough money to cover those bills plus the assisted living facilities' fees.

"I knew my dad was very good at saving money. He was very careful with his money," she said.

But her brother had surprise news. 

"He just suddenly told me in March of '23 'We need to sell their house,'" she recalled. "To be told that there's no money left was a little odd."

The discovery

After asking her brother questions and getting vague answers, Cathy said she went to the bank to check the account balance.

"When they went into assisted living [in 2022] they had over $165,000 in their savings account," she explained. "When I saw how much was left in the account, I felt that was like a gut punch."

With that initial balance, plus their parents' monthly social security and benefit payments and minus the living expenses, Solway estimated the remaining balance should still have been a large amount. 

"I'm doing the math in my head. At some point, there should be around $80,000 in there," she said. But the actual balance was much lower. "There was only about $9,200."

She looked through other statements, and said she spotted multiple large deposits, several withdrawals and checks for thousands of dollars each.

"This is what would happen: $30,000 would go in and about $30,000 would go out, but not in one lump sum," she said. 

She, along with her mother, called the three financial institutions that held her father's retirement accounts and found in the one that held her father's 401k there was a zero balance. She found just $600 left in another one. 

"Over $110,000 and that was just from those three accounts," she said.

Within months, her brother had sold the family home in Streamwood for around $160,000. That money was supposed to be used for their parents' living expenses.

Her brother had been designated power-of-attorney for the parents in early 2023, an arrangement made as part of a trust prior to the Carlsons' failing health. But by the end of the year, Solway was legally challenging his power over their financial affairs.

The court case and admissions

Solway and her attorney filed a petition to remove her brother as power-of-attorney and trustee of the family trust in December 2023 in Walworth County Civil Court.

Through the probate case, she was able to get access to detailed financial records and audio recordings from financial institutions.

"When we subpoenaed all the audio records, there were multiple times that he called and made withdrawals. They were all my brother," she said.

She said her brother called and told representatives he was his father, William Carlson. And in a deposition taken for the case he admitted the voice on the recordings was "Mine."

Some of the checks seen in the statements were made out to her brother's business, Looking Good Turf. Some had Robert Carlson's signature, but many appeared to be signed by his father.

"There were checks through '23 written for his landscaping company," Solway said. "Writing thousands of dollars of checks to his landscaping company and signing my dad's name to it."

And in his deposition, when Robert Carlson was asked who signed his parents' names on documents and checks, he answered, "Me."

By July 2024 a Walworth County judge removed Robert Carlson as power-of-attorney and trustee over the family trust. The ruling also ordered him to repay the trust more than $430,000.

Elder Financial Exploitation

The Illinois Department on Aging, or IDoA, released new data from 2025 showing financial exploitation is the leading type of abuse against people over the age of 60, and adults with a disability of any age.

Twenty-five percent of elder abuse is financial exploitation. and the 6,000 cases in 2025 are an increase from 4,500 in 2004.

"This is due to the growth of the program, but it's also due to increased prevalence of exploitation among the population," said Brian Pastor, division manager of Advocacy and Prevention Services in the IDoA. 

He said the abuser is often close to the victim.

"They're a family member. They're a trusted individual," he explained. 

The agency's data shows most often, in 34% of all cases, the abuse is committed by the victim's adult child, especially when it comes to money.

"They really do feel often in these circumstances that they are entitled to these funds because they're going to get them eventually. Which may or may not be true," Pastor said.

Solway said she doesn't expect her brother will ever repay the money. She has received compensation from at least one of the financial institutions.

Wintrust, the Carlsons' bank, told CBS News Chicago in a statement, that the judicial order did not pertain to it, so it will not repay any of the money Robert Carlson withdrew via checks to his business or for other bills.

CBS News Chicago tried to contact Robert Carlson in Wisconsin, but could not find him. Neighbors told us they thought he had moved to Florida.

Solway advised others to make sure more than one person has power-of-attorney privileges. Her parents both passed away within a few weeks of each other in 2025. 

Full Article & Source:
Streamwood woman says brother took more than $430,000 from elderly parents' financial accounts 

Caregiver in Wisconsin arrested on 20 counts of abuse to disabled adult

by: Adam Rosen

BELOIT, Wis. (WFRV) – A 49-year-old caregiver in Wisconsin was arrested following an investigation into battery against a disabled adult over time.

According to the Rock County Sheriff’s Office, the initial report was on January 23, 2026, when deputies responded to the possible battery. Officials learned throughout the early phases of the investigation that there may have been multiple offenses over time.

Officials developed probable cause early in the case to arrest 49-year-old Toyo Perez of Beloit on a single count of abusing a vulnerable adult; however, upon reviewing several hours of footage and a subsequent interview, Perez was arrested on Wednesday on the following charges:

• 10 counts – Intentionally Subjecting an At-Risk Individual to Abuse—Causing Bodily Harm
• 10 counts – Intentionally Abusing/Neglecting Patient/Resident by Facility/Program Employee—Causing Bodily Harm

Perez is set for a court hearing at 3 p.m. on February 19.

Full Article & Source:
Caregiver in Wisconsin arrested on 20 counts of abuse to disabled adult 

Beloit caregiver accused of abusing disabled adult, Rock Co. deputies report

A Beloit woman faces charges after she was accused of abusing an adult with disabilities on multiple occasions. 

Source:
Beloit caregiver accused of abusing disabled adult, Rock Co. deputies report 

Hos­pital dis­charge law con­cerns advoc­ates

by Sarah Volpen­hein

A bill passed by the Wis­con­sin Legis­lature will make it easier for hos­pit­als to dis­charge cer­tain patients deemed inca­pa­cit­ated to nurs­ing homes, free­ing up hos­pital beds that might oth­er­wise be tied up for weeks.

The bill, which Gov. Tony Evers signed into law on March 20, has the sup­port of hos­pital sys­tems that com­plain of long, costly delays in dis­char­ging patients who can no longer make med­ical decisions for them­selves and haven’t des­ig­nated someone to act on their behalf. At present, they remain in the hos­pital while await­ing court pro­ceed­ings to appoint a guard­ian.

“This legis­la­tion will help ensure patients can move more quickly to the most appro­pri­ate set­ting for their recov­ery, while also improv­ing hos­pital capa­city for those who need hos­pital care,” said Kyle O’Brien, pres­id­ent and chief exec­ut­ive of the Wis­con­sin Hos­pital Asso­ci­ation, a trade group rep­res­ent­ing hos­pit­als.

The legis­la­tion was opposed by dis­ab­il­ity and aging rights advoc­ates, who say it cir­cum­vents the guard­i­an­ship pro­cess, designed to pro­tect the rights of vul­ner­able indi­vidu­als, and could res­ult in patients becom­ing con­fined to insti­tu­tions against their will.

“The guard­i­an­ship pro­cess is com­plex for a reason,” Lisa Has­sen­stab, pub­lic policy man­ager at Dis­ab­il­ity Rights Wis­con­sin, said dur­ing a Novem­ber hear­ing on the bill. “That reason is due pro­cess.”

The Sen­ate voted 28-5 in favor of the legis­la­tion on March 17 dur­ing what could be the body’s last floor ses­sion for the year.

The bill passed the Assembly in Feb­ru­ary with bipar­tisan sup­port, fol­low­ing an amend­ment adding price trans­par­ency require­ments for hos­pit­als.

Health sys­tems engaged in heavy lob­by­ing for bill

The legis­la­tion received a major push from Wis­con­sin health sys­tems, hos­pit­als and industry trade groups, which col­lect­ively spent more than 400 hours lob­by­ing in favor of the bill, accord­ing to reports made to the Wis­con­sin Eth­ics Com­mis­sion.

Wis­con­sin hos­pit­als spend hun­dreds of mil­lions of dol­lars every year hous­ing patients who no longer need hos­pital care and are await­ing dis­charge or trans­fer to nurs­ing homes or other facil­it­ies. While the reas­ons behind

dis­charge delays are many, the bill addresses only the guard­i­an­ship issue.

It does not address other under­ly­ing causes, such as lim­ited bed avail­ab­il­ity at nurs­ing homes or the lack of med­ical facil­it­ies accept­ing com­plex patients.

Up until now, if phys­i­cians deemed a patient no longer able to make med­ical decisions for them­selves and they did not have a power of attor­ney, the hos­pital could not dis­charge the patient to a nurs­ing home until a guard­i­an­ship peti­tion was filed with a court, even when fam­ily mem­bers agreed to the trans­fer. Those pro­ceed­ings could take weeks or months, hos­pital offi­cials said.

The patient may be someone who had a stroke, suffered a trau­matic brain injury, or has demen­tia or another agere­lated dis­ease and lacks the abil­ity to man­age their own health care, whether tem­por­ar­ily or per­man­ently.

The new law removes the require­ment to file for guard­i­an­ship and allows a fam­ily mem­ber, called a patient rep­res­ent­at­ive, to agree to the patient’s admis­sion to a nurs­ing home, make health care decisions for them and approve health-related spend­ing.

Dis­ab­il­ity advoc­ates argue the legis­la­tion removes pro­tec­tions like court over­sight that come with the guard­i­an­ship pro­cess while also grant­ing a lot of the same author­ity as a guard­ian. They say the legis­la­tion does not require that the patient be noti­fied of the rep­res­ent­at­ive’s appoint­ment or of their rights to ask for a ree­valu­ation of their men­tal capa­city. Nor does it require the rep­res­ent­at­ive to con­sider the wishes of the patient, they say.

The legis­la­tion, they said, also lacks pro­tec­tions against an abuser or estranged rel­at­ive assum­ing the role.

“Often­times the per­son who is an abuser is the per­son who is really keep­ing an eye on the per­son in the hos­pital,” said Tami Jack­son, pub­lic policy ana­lyst and legis­lat­ive liaison with the Wis­conVon sin Board for People with Devel­op­mental Dis­ab­il­it­ies. “Some­body who gets picked under this bill ends up with a whole lot of author­ity.”

Under the new law, the patient or another fam­ily mem­ber may object to the nurs­ing home place­ment, if aware.

Any­one may ask a court to review the patient rep­res­ent­at­ive’s actions or may request a ree­valu­ation of the patient’s capa­city.

Exten­ded hos­pital stays can con­trib­ute to over­crowding

While pro­mot­ing the bill, health sys­tems argued that patients may miss out on cru­cial rehab­il­it­a­tion or other health care while wait­ing in the hos­pital for dis­charge. By remain­ing in the hos­pital, they also are at increased risk of hos­pital-acquired infec­tions or falls espe­cially dan­ger­ous for eld­erly patients.

From Janu­ary to Octo­ber 2025, Mayo Clinic Health Sys­tem coun­ted about 35 patients with exten­ded stays at its north­w­est Wis­con­sin hos­pit­als, Gina

Ruden, a Mayo senior nurse admin­is­trator, said at a Novem­ber hear­ing on the bill. At Mayo’s Eau Claire hos­pital, that added up to patients spend­ing a col­lect­ive 1,200 days in the hos­pital because of guard­i­an­ship delays, she said.

The exten­ded stays con­trib­ute to hos­pital over­crowding. Mayo Clinic has seen an influx of patients, Von Ruden said, ever since the abrupt clos­ure in 2024 of two area hos­pit­als by Hos­pital Sis­ters Health Sys­tem, a com­pet­ing health sys­tem.

When over­crowded, the Mayo hos­pital in Eau Claire has to board patients in the emer­gency depart­ment, Von Ruden said, where they may spend the rest of their hos­pital visit if no bed becomes avail­able on an inpa­tient floor.

“They might be in a hall­way in the emer­gency depart­ment or even in the ambu­lance bay when things get real tight,” Von Ruden said.

The bill has a three-year sun­set pro­vi­sion, which allows legis­lat­ors to check if the bill is work­ing as inten­ded before renew­ing it. 

Full Article & Source:
Hos­pital dis­charge law con­cerns advoc­ates 

Financial exploitation of seniors

By LouAnn Schulfer, AWMA®
, AIF®

With our aging population, financial exploitation of seniors is a serious and growing problem. It happens throughout all economic levels and has robbed people of their savings, their financial security, their homes and ultimately their dignity. We tend to think of criminal activity as obvious and violent. However, exploitation often begins with a much softer approach. By playing on emotions, money or other assets are often stolen through gradual persuasion, with the victim eventually signing over money or other valuables thinking they are doing the right thing by helping someone else in a time of need. Often there are promises of returning the “borrowed” money. Sometimes, the emotion is our own greed, as exploitation may be a promise of returning the money along with a great rate of return. Exploitation can escalate through coercion, trickery, deception, and even harassment and threats.

Each year, I attend LPL Financials’ annual national FOCUS conference with a few thousand other advisors and financial professionals. Protection of seniors is of such importance that it has been one of the few mandatory sessions that all securities licensed advisors have been required to attend. The SEC approved amendments to FINRA Rule 4512, Customer Account Information, and FINRA Rule 216.5, Financial Exploitation of Specified Adults. As of February of 2018, advisors are required to make efforts to obtain the name and contact information for a client’s Trusted Contact person when opening or updating an account. The Trusted Contact person is an additional resource for advisors to consult when a complex situation arises, such as having concern for a client’s physical or mental wellbeing or responding to possible financial exploitation.

If you do not have a Trusted Contact on the record of your accounts, contact your advisor or the company where your money is held and request detailed information on how this can help to protect you, and what the firm’s policy is on contacting the Trusted Contact. Additionally, it is always a good idea to let a responsible adult know some basics about your financial affairs — where to locate assets and/or who to contact on your behalf in the event of concern, death or disability.

The State of Wisconsin has put together a guide of common consumer protection issues facing Wisconsin’s senior citizens. It is an excellent resource and I encourage you to read it: www.datcp.wi.gov/Documents/SeniorGuide170.pdf. Together, let’s work to detect and prevent the financial exploitation of seniors.  

Full Article & Source:
Financial exploitation of seniors 

Man arrested for elder abuse on Madison's east side

by Samantha Calderon 

MADISON, Wis. -- Madison police were dispatched on the city's east side Monday afternoon for a disturbance involving an elderly woman.

Police learned that the caller, an elderly woman residing on the 3200 block of Dairy Drive, reported that another male resident became violent when asked to leave the room.

According to police, the man allegedly threw a chair at her and proceeded to kick her in the face.

The man was arrested for physical abuse of an elder, battery, disorderly conduct, and a probation hold.

Full Article & Source:
Man arrested for elder abuse on Madison's east side 

Man pleads not guilty in elder abuse case

Source:
Man pleads not guilty in elder abuse case

Rescue dog saves frostbitten man

 A rescue dog saved a nearly frozen man in a Watertown backyard Monday morning.

"My dad was the first one to say, 'Wow, your rescue just rescued a life,'" said Katey Higgins.

Higgins, a Watertown resident, was taking her dog, Jagger, to her parents' home Monday morning when they quickly learned something was wrong.

Source:
Rescue dog saves frostbitten man

Wisconsin Supreme Court refuses to release voter records sought by conservative activist

The Wisconsin Supreme Court has rejected an attempt by a conservative activist to obtain guardianship records in an effort to find ineligible voters

by SCOTT BAUER

The Wisconsin Supreme Court has rejected an attempt by a conservative activist to obtain guardianship records in an effort to find ineligible voters, but the case could return.

The court did not rule on the merits of the case, instead saying in its 5-2 decision Friday that a lower appeals court did not follow proper procedure when it issued a ruling saying the records should be released.

Here’s what to know:

Conservative activist brought the case

The case tested the line between protecting personal privacy rights and ensuring that ineligible people can’t vote.

Former travel agent Ron Heuer and a group he leads, the Wisconsin Voter Alliance, allege that the number of ineligible voters doesn’t match the count on Wisconsin’s voter registration list. Heuer asked the state Supreme Court to rule that counties must release records filed when a judge determines that someone isn’t competent to vote so that those names can be compared to the voter registration list.

Justices rejected case on technicality

The justices said the District II appeals court, based in Waukesha, was wrong to overturn a Walworth County Circuit Court ruling denying access to the records. In a nearly identical lawsuit, the District IV appeals court, based in Madison, had denied access to the records saying they were not subject to disclosure under the state public records law.

Justice Janet Protasiewicz, writing for the majority, said that the District II appeals court have sent the case to the Supreme Court, explaining why the other appeals court ruling was incorrect.

If it follows the proper procedure for doing that, the case could end up right back before the Supreme Court again. In the meantime, the Supreme Court sent the case back to the appeals court for further action.

All four liberal justices were joined by conservative Justice Brian Hagedorn in the majority. He said the different branches of the appeals court must be unified in their actions.

Chief Justice Annette Ziegler and Justice Rebecca Bradley, both conservatives, dissented, saying the court “leaves unresolved issues of great importance to voters, election officials, and people from whom courts have removed the right to vote due to incompetency.”

Sam Hall, the attorney for Walworth County, praised the ruling.

“We all agree that election integrity is fundamental and our citizens must have confidence in our elective process, while also respecting the dignity of those individuals subject to guardianship orders,” he said.

A court has the power to remove the right to vote from a person under a guardianship order if the person is determined to be unable to understand “the objective of the election process.”

The attorney for Heuer did not immediately return an email seeking comment.

Full Article & Source:
Wisconsin Supreme Court refuses to release voter records sought by conservative activist

Madison caregiver arrested after hitting client at East Towne Mall

by Kyle Jones 

MADISON, Wis. -- Madison police arrested a man Tuesday night who they said hit an elderly person who was in his care.

Officers were called to East Towne Mall just before 7 p.m. after a group of strangers reported seeing a caregiver hit an elderly client.

After speaking with the witnesses, officers arrested a 52-year-old Madison man. He faces charges of physical abuse of an elder person.

News 3 Now is not naming the man at this time as part of a policy not to name people accused of crimes until they have been formally charged in court.

Full Article & Source:
Madison caregiver arrested after hitting client at East Towne Mall

Wisconsin Bill Aims to Speed up Criminal Cases With Elderly Victims

 by Sarah Lehr

A Wisconsin bill aims to speed up criminal proceedings when older victims or witnesses are involved. 

The legislation, which advanced to public hearings this month, says courts have a duty to expedite proceedings involving any victim or witness over age 60, and that judges have to take that duty into account when weighing motions for delays. 

And, when a witness is over 60, the bill would allow that person’s testimony to be recorded to be used as evidence at a potential future trial. 

Source:

Wisconsin Bill Aims to Speed Up Criminal Cases With Elderly Victims

WI Sen. Jacque's Bill to Protect Vulnerable Adults Advances

Vulnerable members of our society that have been targeted by criminals would receive stronger protections under a proposal that cleared a State Senate committee today in a strong bipartisan 6-1 vote.

“This legislation will enhance our adult at risk legal framework by adding more protections that will help ensure safe, fulfilling lives for the defenseless ones among us,” said State Sen. André Jacque (R-De Pere), lead author of the measure.

Sen. Jacque said Wisconsin has a longstanding definition of “adult at risk”, which refers to any adult who has a physical or mental condition that substantially impairs his or her ability to care for his or her needs, and who has experienced, is currently experiencing, or is at risk of experiencing abuse, neglect, self-neglect, or financial exploitation. Unfortunately, there remain a number of protections currently lacking under state law for adults at risk, which Sen. Jacque’s bill will enact:

· Allowing prosecutors to request that a court freeze or seize assets from a defendant who has been charged with a financial exploitation crime when the victim is an adult at risk in order to preserve them for restitution.

· Allowing an adult at risk who is seeking a domestic violence, individual-at-risk, or harassment restraining order to appear in a court hearing by telephone or live audiovisual means.

· Increasing the penalty for forcible sexual misconduct, which is currently a second degree sexual assault, to a first degree sexual assault (going from a Class C to a Class B Felony) if the victim is an adult at risk.

· Allowing a term of imprisonment that is imposed for a criminal conviction to be increased in length if the crime victim was an adult at risk.

“Adults with disabilities are seven times more likely to be the victims of abuse, neglect, or exploitation,” Sen. Jacque said, noting that the bill (Senate Bill 72) passed the Senate last session as 2021 SB 388 in a strong bipartisan vote of 31-2. The measure has been supported by the Alzheimer’s Association and the Wisconsin Chapter of A-TEAM, a grassroots network of families who work legislatively to advance the cause of people with disabilities in the workplace, society, and home.

This stronger adult at risk legislation is Sen. Jacque’s latest effort to protect our most vulnerable. Last session, Gov. Evers signed a Jacque bill requiring training for guardianship, the most restrictive legal arrangement for incapacitated adults, to make sure decisions are made in their best interests.

Senate Bill 72 must next clear the full Senate and Assembly, and be signed by the Governor, to become law.

Senator André Jacque represents Northeast Wisconsin’s First Senate District, consisting of Door and Kewaunee Counties and portions of Brown, Calumet, Manitowoc, and Outagamie counties.

Source:

Sen Jacque Bill Protecting Vulnerable Adults Advances

Wisconsin ranks as the top state in elder-abuse pro­tec­tions

By Kristin Parisi Wisconsin

 

WISCONSIN — WalletHub recently released a study that reported Wisconsin ranked as the top state for elder-abuse protections in the United States, followed by Massachusetts and Ohio. 

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What You Need To Know

• Wisconsin ranked as the top state for elder-abuse protections in the United States


• Massachusetts ranked second, and Ohio followed with third


• Wisconsin is one of only 22 states with elder-abuse shelters in place


• Wisconsin ranks third in the country for both total expenditures on elder-abuse prevention and elder care organizations and services

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Out of 100 points, Wisconsin scored a 62.45. WalletHub used three dimensions — prevalence, resources and protection — to score each of the states. Wisconsin ranked 22 in prevalence, first in resources and fifth in protections.

The U.S. Department of Justice defines elder abuse as “an intentional or negligent act that causes harm or serious risk of harm to an older adult.” It can involve neglect, financial exploitation, self-neglect and more. Elder abuse cost the U.S. more than $1.6 billion last year.

A 2022 report by the Wisconsin Department of Health Services found that 22% of calls made to helplines for elder abuse had to do with financial exploitation, 47.5% had to do with self-neglect and another 10.4% was for neglect by others.

WalletHub officials said combating these abuses is key as the U.S. Census Bureau projects that the 65 and older population will double from 49.2 million in 2016 to 94.7 million in 2060.

Wisconsin comes in at the top for protections, with a high amount of elder care organizations and services. It also invests three times the amount per elderly resident in elder-abuse prevention programs than the state average. The state is one of only 22 with elder-abuse shelters in place.

Wisconsin ranks third in the country for both the total amount of money spent on elder-abuse prevention and elder care organizations and services. 

Every county in the state has an elder agency that will explore reports of abuse. You can find a list of those here.

Full Article & Source:
Wisconsin ranks as the top state in elder-abuse pro­tec­tions

La Crosse County joins new elder abuse prevention program

La Crosse County has been chosen as one of the four Wisconsin counties to participate in a new program aimed at reducing elder abuse.

Source:
La Crosse County joins new elder abuse prevention program

Sen. Testin, Rep. Macco: Introduce legislation to help elderly victims of crime

Madison, WI –With incidents of elder abuse on the rise, Senator Patrick Testin (Stevens Point) and Representative John Macco (Ledgeview) have reintroduced legislation to help victims get justice. By allowing for expedited hearings and the ability to preserve testimony through a video-taped court hearing, the bill aims to reduce stress and improve the process for elderly victims and witnesses who are involved in a court proceeding.

“The justice system must be able respond to the unique needs of an elderly victim or witness,” said Testin. “This bill has broad bi-partisan support, and I believe that the time is now to pass this important reform.”

Both Senator Testin and Representative Macco were involved in Attorney General Brad Schimel’s Task Force on Elder Abuse, which originally developed the bill. Macco agreed with Testin that the bill would have a positive impact.

“This bill is essential to protect our growing elderly population,” said Rep. Macco. “With more baby boomers retiring each day, it is critical that we take steps to protect them from harm and any unnecessary delays in the court process.”

The bill will circulate in the legislature for co-sponsorship until October 5^th.

Full Article & Source:
Sen. Testin, Rep. Macco: Introduce legislation to help elderly victims of crime

Reedsburg lawyer stole $1.6 million from client's trust to pay for home improvements, 2 trucks and a tractor

by Chris Ramirez

A Reedsburg lawyer will spend nearly four years in federal prison for embezzling $1.6 million from a client's trust accounts.

U.S. District Judge William M. Conley on Thursday ordered Kristin Lein, 61, to serve 45 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. She pleaded guilty in June to wire fraud, money laundering and filing a false tax return.

Prosecutors alleged that in June 2019, Lein began transferring money from several accounts belonging to the client’s trust to her own personal bank account.

Lein and the beneficiary of the trust spoke in a Feb. 2, 2022, phone call about financial matters. She told the person the trust balance was over $1.8 million. 

But that wasn't true.

Prosecutors alleged the amount in the trust was significantly less due to her actions, and that she continued to embezzle money until the funds were depleted in September 2022. 

Timothy M. O’Shea, the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, said in a statement an investigation revealed Lein used the embezzled funds to pay personal expenses, including improvements to her home in Sauk County.

She also used the money to buy multiple vehicles, including a 2019 F-250 pickup truck, a 2017 Toyota Tacoma pickup truck and a 2020 Mahinda tractor, the statement said. 

Lein admitted she failed to report the income she obtained from the embezzlement on her 2019 personal tax return.   

The charges against Lein were a result of an investigation conducted by IRS Criminal Investigation. 

Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron Wegner handled the prosecution.

Full Article & Source:
Reedsburg lawyer stole $1.6 million from client's trust to pay for home improvements, 2 trucks and a tractor

Man found not guilty by insanity in Eau Claire elder abuse case

By: Keith Edwards

EAU CLAIRE COUNTY (WQOW) - A hearing will be held next month to determine what should be done with an Eau Claire man who was found not guilty by insanity this week for elder abuse.

Lue Xiong was charged with attempted murder for allegedly beating and stabbing his father last July. The 87-year-old man needed stitches and had a potentially serious head wound. Xiong's brother said Xiong also put his foot on the victim's neck, affecting his breathing.

Xiong pleaded no contest Tuesday to elder abuse and strangulation/suffocation. The judge then found him not guilty, by reason of mental defect.

A pre-disposition investigation will be done, with a hearing set for June ninth.

Full Article & Source:
Man found not guilty by insanity in Eau Claire elder abuse case