[Madison, WI] – In case you missed it, candidate for the Wisconsin Supreme Court, Jill Karofsky’s record as a Dane County Judge took another disturbing turn when it was revealed that she let a brutal child rapist off with the most lenient sentence possible.
Jay Perez was convicted of brutally raping his sister when she was between five and six years-old. According to the victim, Perez assaulted her while their 4 year-old autistic brother cried outside the door. Perez was able to keep his victim quiet by threatening that she would be taken away from their family if she ever came forward about his abuse.
Karofsky herself admitted that “it really doesn’t get much graver” than Perez’s crimes, but still gave him the minimum sentence possible despite the fact that he faced 225 years in prison. Even the notoriously lenient Dane County District Attorney’s office recommended a harsher sentence for such a brutal crime.
This case is just the latest example in a string of cases where Jill Karofsky has refused to give a brutal criminal a sentence that matched their crime. As a Dane County Judge, Karofsky let a baby abusing nurse, a brutal murderer, a serial child sex offender, criminals who assault police officers, and hardened criminals off easy. Karofsky’s abysmal record as a Dane County Judge stands in stark contrast with Justice Daniel Kelly’s record of upholding the Constitution and the rule of law.
Read the full write-up here.
The Karofsky Case Files: Jay Perez
1130 WISN
Dan O’Donnell
March 6, 2020
In 2017, Jay Perez was charged with five felonies–first degree sexual assault of a child under the age of 12, incest, and child enticement–in connection with the repeated sexual assault of his adopted sister when she was between five and six years old.
The horrifying details were discovered when the girl’s diary was found years later.
“I think there is something I need to tell mom, dad [and my siblings] because it’s not okay and even though it happened a while back it’s still not okay,” she wrote. “When we used to live at the farm house & mom and dad would leave & Jay would babysit us He would lock me in his room and basically make me have sex with him.”
According to the girl, Perez would leave their four year-old autistic brother crying outside the door.
For years, Perez was able to keep both children quiet through repeated threats that the girl would be taken away from the family that adopted her. His abuse terrorized her for years, eventually causing so much anxiety and depression that she stopped going to school and began harming herself.
When his horrendous crimes finally came to light, Perez was tried and found guilty of all five counts against him. He faced a maximum sentence of 225 years in prison.
He never once admitted his guilt and, throughout the proceedings, blamed the victim–his sister–and his mother for his conviction.
Ahead of his sentencing hearing, the Dane County District Attorney’s Office recommended 25 years in prison followed by 20 years of extended supervision.
Instead, Judge Jill Karofsky sentenced Perez to just 15 years in prison followed by 10 years of extended supervision. Even though, Karofsky herself admitted that “it really doesn’t get much graver” than Perez’s offenses, she gave him the absolute minimum sentence that she legally could.
Read the full write-up here.
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