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DA Allegedly Texts Victim

What.  The.  Hell?

A prominent Wisconsin district attorney sent repeated text messages trying to spark an affair with a domestic abuse victim while he was prosecuting her ex-boyfriend, a police report shows.

The 26-year-old woman complained last year to police after receiving 30 texts from Calumet County District Attorney Kenneth Kratz in three days, according to the report obtained by The Associated Press.

“Are you the kind of girl that likes secret contact with an older married elected DA  . . .  the riskier the better?” Kratz, 50, wrote in a message to Stephanie Van Groll in October 2009. In another, he wrote: “I would not expect you to be the other woman. I would want you to be so hot and treat me so well that you’d be THE woman! R U that good?”

Kratz was prosecuting Van Groll’s ex-boyfriend on charges he nearly choked her to death last year. He also was the veteran chair of the Wisconsin Crime Victims’ Rights Board, a quasi-judicial agency that can reprimand judges, prosecutors and police officers who mistreat crime victims.

In a combative interview in his office Wednesday, Kratz did not deny sending the messages and expressed concern their publication would unfairly embarrass him personally and professionally. He said the Office of Lawyer Regulation had found he did not violate any rules governing attorney misconduct. That office cannot comment on investigations.

“This is a non-news story,” Kratz shouted. But he added, “I’m worried about it because of my reputational interests. I’m worried about it because of my 25 years as a prosecutor.”

Van Groll told police in Kaukauna, Wis., where she lived, that she felt pressured to have a relationship with Kratz or that Kratz would drop the charges against her ex-boyfriend.

[...]

“I’m serious! I’m the atty. I have the $350,000 house. I have the 6-figure career. You may be the tall, young, hot nymph, but I am the prize!” he texted.

Who DOES that?  Wow.

Posted by Owen at 1946 hrs
Law + Politics + Politics - Wisconsin

1. I’m the atty. I have the $350,000 house. I have the 6-figure career. You may be the tall, young, hot nymph, but I am the prize

   Answer:  jackasses like HIM do that.  After all, he’s elected! 

   That means “Entitled.”

   Posted by dad29 on September 15, 2010 at 2042 hrs
   
   
   

2. My God.

   What a douche.

   Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on September 15, 2010 at 2205 hrs
   
   
   

3. I’m so shocked and disappointed in this guy.  He was the one who tried the Steven Avery case.  I agree with #2 except “douche” is not strong enough for him.  2 years ago there was talk of him running for congress against Petri.

   Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on September 16, 2010 at 0445 hrs
   
   
   

4. Let’s hear it for the Police who didn’t cover it up!!!!

   Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on September 16, 2010 at 0549 hrs
   
   
   

5. I am the prize!

   He’s a prize, alright. 

   Moron.

   Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on September 16, 2010 at 0727 hrs
   
   
   

6. Have any of you seen the FB page for said 26-year-old woman Stephanie Van Groll? She looks and reads like aspitfire. I can understand the DA’s attraction, she looks very fun.

   Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on September 16, 2010 at 1121 hrs
   
   
   

7. Too funny, DA love interest Stephanie Van Groll has scrubbed her FB page clean all within 24 hrs, I bet her lawyer told her too. My God she looks like a Nun compared to what was on her FB page last night. This is very funny, all of the bar photos of her in short shorts are gone.

   Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on September 16, 2010 at 1420 hrs
   
   
   

8. Has he done this before to other women ? lets see all his text messages ?

   Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on September 16, 2010 at 1516 hrs
   
   
   

9. The Internet and cell phones need to come with some sort of “Miranda” warning for their users:

   Anything you say, write, text, or send as a photograph, can and will be used against you in the court of public opinion.

   Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on September 16, 2010 at 1651 hrs
   
   
   

10. Some “Prize”, I’d rather catch herpes…but still, I haven’t laughed so hard in a long time lol

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on September 16, 2010 at 2228 hrs
    
    
    

11. The article is very good,very useful, and i learned a lot from that, thank you very much, hope you can continue write this kind of article and thank you for sharing!

    Posted by hairstraightener on September 17, 2010 at 0522 hrs
    
    
    

12. The arrogance of Kratz is breathtaking. Does he really think that a woman who had just been beaten up wants to get involved as a mistress with a married old guy? Does he really think that being upper middle class makes him a chick magnet?

    Both JS and WRN claims that the Wisconsin Department of Justice and Office of Lawyer Regulation said that the investigation cleared him of wrongdoing. That is hard to believe. I hope Van Hollen explains what is going on soon. I wouldn’t want to be the DOJ guy (obviously it was not a woman who cleared Kratz) who dismissed this criminal behavior. If his behavior is not criminal, our laws are unjust. It’s too bad that Kratz has gotten away with this shameful behavior for this long.

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on September 17, 2010 at 1130 hrs
    
    
    

13. Proud Progressive over at Blogging Blue is linking this article, claiming intentional deceit.

    [Edited by Owen.  Callout, don’t be a jerk and publish people’s home address unless it is yours.]

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on September 17, 2010 at 1321 hrs
    
    
    

14. Stephanie Van Groll has scrubbed her FB page clean

    Mike, glad you explained that because after your first post I checked it out and thought “wow, this guy apparently hasn’t seen any real spitfires”.
    She could not look any more wholesome, baby in arms and all.
    Now I understand.

    Posted by Charlie Hillman on September 17, 2010 at 1746 hrs
    
    
    

15. Still, Kratz is a sleeze, has abused his authority, and should be tossed.

    Posted by Charlie Hillman on September 17, 2010 at 1748 hrs
    
    
    

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