Prosecutors are the most powerful people in the American criminal justice system. "Open and Shut" is a narrative, seven-part investigative series following two district attorneys in Wisconsin’s Fox Valley and their impact on victims, the accused and the justice system.
Wisconsin Watch and Wisconsin Public Radio
The Scandal
As Outagamie County district attorney, Biskupic let potential defendants buy their way out of trouble. As a judge, he offered deals that fell in a 'gray area' of the law.
The List
One of Outagamie County District Attorney Vince Biskupic's cases involved a rewritten police report; another, an exoneration.
The Circus
A possible Miranda violation, a missing taped "confession," and an improperly charged girlfriend among the flaws in Vince Biskupic's case.
The Witness
In 2019, Wisconsin Watch received a tip about a case. It alleged that the prosecutor, Outagamie County District Attorney Vince Biskupic, had withheld information about a key witness — a young woman who got some help, monetary and otherwise, from the police. That assistance was never disclosed to the defense. It's part of a pattern seen in some other high-profile cases prosecuted by Biskupic, according to an investigation by Wisconsin Watch and WPR.
The Fire
The Golden Boy
The Hit Plot
The Wisconsin case was tainted by secret tapes, unreliable witnesses and a supposed "hit" plot against Winnebago County District Attorney Joe Paulus.
Joe Paulus's time as Winnebago County district attorney involved taking bribes, allegedly asking an officer to lie on the stand and bragging about having sex in his office.
The Outagamie County case featured District Attorney Vince Biskupic who called one of his key witnesses ‘credible' — then charged him with perjury 10 days later.
Prosecutors are the most powerful people in the American criminal justice system. "Open and Shut," a new podcast from Wisconsin Watch and Wisconsin Public Radio, shines a light on how prosecutors do their jobs — and the danger of allowing that power to go unchecked. Hosted by reporter Phoebe Petrovic, "Open and Shut" is the culmination of nearly three years of investigative reporting. The seven-part series follows two district attorneys in Wisconsin's Fox Valley and their impact on victims, the accused and the justice system. Episodes 1-3 coming Wednesday, April 20.
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