“I have been friends with Mitchel Smith for about 10 years. He is always welcome in my office,” says Kenosha’s top cop, Sheriff David Beth in a letter to Kenosha Judge Gerad Dougvillo. This letter was authored to help reduce the bond of a Kenosha man who has been charged with 20 serious felonies related to the drugging and raping of a 14 year old child. Smith is currently being held on a $35,000 cash bond. He has been in the Kenosha Jail since June 2 of this year. The Sheriff later elaborates, “Mitchel’s initial intimidating appearance and possible demeanor caught me off guard at first…I completely trust Mitchel and am glad that even in a small way, he is part of my life.”
Smith is a convicted felon and has a very lengthy criminal history that includes arrests and convictions for sexual assault, burglary, false imprisonment, and other violent and dangerous crimes. He spent at least 4 years in prison. You can read the Wisconsin Department of Justice’ criminal history file on Smith here. Even with all of this, Sheriff Beth thinks Smith should be out on the streets until his trial. We reached out to Sheriff Beth and the department’s public information officer, Sgt. Christopher Hannah told us “The Kenosha County Sheriff’s Department does not have a comment regarding this topic.”
The current allegations against Smith can be read here and are extremely graphic and as bad as one can imagine. On August 26, the no-nonsense judge Gerad Dougvillo denied the defense’s motion. Dougvillo, who is new to the bench here in Kenosha, is universally seen by many defense attorneys as a very fair judge – to both sides.
Smith is scheduled to go to trial March 3, of 2022.
If convicted, he faces hundreds of years behind bars and a lifetime registry as a sex offender.
Below is the letter the Sheriff wrote:
15 Responses
David Beth commenting on his personal relationship with Mitchel Smith cannot be considered as approval of or a diminishing of the current legal issues involving Mr. Smith. Also, the sheriff’s statement is not a pleading in a personal belief of Mr. Smith’s guilt or innocence.
My guess is it is imprudent for any sheriff to use their office to advocate for anyone’s more or less bond, bail, parole, or sentencing; however; unofficially and outside the capacity of their office, the sheriff and any other LEO should be allowed to give personal remarks about their individual relationship and experience with any individual, if requested.
Seems to me that you are simply trying to impune David Beth’s reputation, but his reputation is that if a generally caring person regardless of which side of the law you are on. That is, at least, my observation of David Beth.
Maybe you can help me understand why Sheriff Beth writes this letter of support to this career criminal sex offender when he said, a few years ago, that a group of shoplifters needed to be warehoused for life.
This is unbelievable shame on David Beth !!! He was my neighbor, disgusting piece of garbage
That may be your opinion. You are entitled to it.
My view of his reputation is that he seems to be a POS person who abuses his power. Either way, he has to go. Everyone at the top needs to after the riots last year. They all failed the city.
His letter may not have been meant as an endorsement of this shithead’s guilt/innocence in the criminal case but, be real, it’s 2021……this is horribly BAD OPTICS for the Sheriff’s Department.
Also, if you don’t think that letter was meant as his endorsement of getting Smith’s bond reduced, you are just fucking stupid. I don’t really know what else to say.
Also the sheriff doesn’t know how to even spell “demeanor”. (and you wonder why Kenosha is in the position it’s in…).
Governor EVERS poured the gas on the city and the Rioters set it on fire. The police had no chance and that has Nothing to do with the topic except that you’re wrong about the local police AND neighboring cities ability to handle the scum that infiltrated the city for opportunities to steal, burn, and abuse local residents. Get back on Topic.
Politics aside, 110 of initial confinement speaks for itself. ‘Sheriff’ Beth is a disgrace to law enforcement everywhere!
Sherriff’s letter of support for rapist is on official office letterhead. That means the sheriff endorsed rapist. You might not feel the same concerning the sheriff if it was your 14 yr. old loved one.
You have got to be KIDDING! This sheriff is a joke and so are you. Screw this false civility that is a career, violent, massive repeat offender the sheriff is ENDORSING! WTF is wrong with you?
BTW…when the sheriff mentions dude being high energy, telling him to slow down? That’s coke or meth. Guarantee it.
You’re pathetic and so is this county’s sheriff. Absolutely pathetic.
How’s this for you? beth knows mitchell via the court/prison system. beth get kickback from mitchell’s various illegitimate dealings. mitchell behavior is abhorrent and beth is pure evil
This letter would make sense if Smith is a snitch or Smith has dirt on the Sheriff.
I’m not seeing an ask in the letter, what’s the context? It doesn’t appear to be a letter of recomendation as the Sheriff clearly says he is “unaware of all activities”. At most the letter reads like the Sheriff is saying the person is not quick to anger and posses the capacity to reason.
110 years of initial confinement speaks for itself. ‘Sheriff’ Beth is a disgrace
Some reason I can’t get the terrible ugly man of my computer and then our sheriff is giving him a excellent resume wat the hell has gone wrong with this world that child molestet was on his way of his demise before I found out he’s was a despicable sob. Iam telling you he patrols h whol block like he owned it iam telling h was the rudest man I ever met in my 68 yrs he thought he was th baddst sob in he world but in my mind he was a very bad fucked human being that I was really planning on putting on righ before those beady black eyes I hope he kick the shit out of that sob electrify his nasty stinking balls u know I have a bogus ass aren’t out n m bu I tell u if hey got that no good fucker I be glad t do my due diligence justice Is Good
Smith is a snitch that’s why the sheriff wrote that letter come on Now people Common sense why he would write that letter for him. Look at his record and how he stayed out of jail so much please And he was about to at all the bars in Kenosha hello.