Kenosha, WI – 2021CV000893
In June and July of 2021, Kenosha County Eye Editor Kevin Mathewson made two public records requests to the Kenosha County DA’s office. Mathewson requested the disciplinary files of two employees of the office, Assistant District Attorney Emily Trigg, (ADA Kraus’s wife) and Victim/Witness Advocate Rhonda Bohr-Mrnak. Trigg and Bohr-Mrnak both were both alleged to have committed serious misconduct. Trigg was the prosecutor for State v. Caroline Prieto. Prieto was accused of shaking a baby, leaving the baby permanently disabled. Trigg ignored a court order for 2.5 years to produce a witness list. Her defiance of the court’s order caused the case the be dismissed. For employee Bohr-Mrnak, she was accused of slapping and threatening her step-daughter with a gun. She herself, was slapped with a restraining order. Mathewson wanted to know if Kenosha County District Attorney Mike Graveley issued discipline to either of these employees. He is known for not issuing discipline in his office. Graveley denied Mathewson’s request, saying that if his employee’s disciplinary records were released and posted to Mathewson’s website, no one
would want to work at the DA’s office. Graveley knew that reason he gave was not a legal one. Mathewson hired The Wisconsin Transparency Project Attorney Tom Kamenick and sued the Kenosha DA, once again. The AG’s office quickly settled the case, giving Mathewson the requested records and $2,500. “This is now the second time I’ve had to use the court system to obtain evidence of misconduct from the Kenosha DA’s office. Maybe it’s time for Graveley to be investigated. He thinks he is above the law. He is not. I’m glad I
was successful in both of theses cases and I’m very grateful for my attorney, who is by far the best public records attorney in the state” Said Mathewson. With both lawsuits settling, Mathewson is to be paid $3,600 and receive the records he requested lawfully.
