CHARGES FILED AGAINST OFFICER

By Michael Horne

If you need a reminder that the police are truly going about the People's Business while on duty, consider this: a $100 pilferage that would have resulted in misdemeanor charges for most of us was elevated to two Class "I" Felonies and two Class "A" Misdemeanors in the case of Wisconsin v. Jeffrey Buckson.
Buckson, 44, a Milwaukee Police Department officer, was on duty when he slipped $100 from a $530 stash of cash confiscated from a vehicle in what was a sting operation directed toward testing his honesty on July 2nd, 2008.
Because he did not pass the test, his charges include the felony counts of Misconduct in Office "Excess Authority" and "Fraud / Record / Statement."
Also, since he was on duty at the time, he was charged with "Theft in a Business Setting, <$2,500" as well as "Receiving Stolen Property <$2,500."
Buckson, free on a $5,000 Signature Bond, will face Judge William W. Brash III [Marquette U '78] August 25th, 2008 at 1:30 p.m. for a preliminary hearing. His attorney is Michael F. Hart [Michigan State University College of Law '88]. The State is represented by Assistant District Attorney Douglas J. Simpson [Marquette U '82].

FUN FACT!
Buckson told investigators he needed the $100 because he was hard up due to financial and family difficulties. He earned $54,647 in straight time last year, supplemented with $10,042 in overtime and $3,371 in supplemental pay, for a total income of $69,102, far above the average income of those who find it easy to resist stealing the cash to which they have been entrusted.
--Michael Horne

[Here is the Milwaukeeworld post from July 9th, 2008, when we told you Buckson's name. And, here is the Milwaukeeworld post from July 3rd, 2008, when we reported the arrest. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel wrote about the story today, July 31st, 2008. --Ed.]

BUTLER'S LAST WEEK ON BENCH SPENT IN TEXAS

By Michael Horne
Today, Thursday, July 31st, 2008, is the last day on the Wisconsin Supreme Court for Justice Louis B. Butler, Jr. [Wisconsin '77]. But there are no champagne corks being popped or teary farewell speeches being uttered in Room 16 East of the State Capitol, since Butler has spent his last week on the bench at a conference in Texas. Whew! I'm sure he'll be ready to hang up his robe after that scorching visit.
Fortunately, the procedure to collect unemployment insurance claims in Wisconsin has been greatly automated since the last time Louis was out of work. You can even get the checks automatically deposited nowadays. You still have to make an active job search, but Louie could ace that by calling Governor Jim Doyle every week asking if there are any open judgeships in the state. He could do that during a commercial break, and not miss a minute of the Andy Griffith Show.

FUN FACT!
During the week ending July 26th, 2008, there were 12,146 initial unemployment insurance claims filed in Wisconsin. That's up from 8,415 filings the year previous. Altogether, 94,842 Wisconsinites collected $21,873,787 in unemployment benefits that week, up from 62,160 who collected $13,395,730 in 2007.
-- Michael Horne