Two Convicted Violent Felons Looking For Gubernatorial Pardons
Both Monroe Mitchell III and his son Sharmain Harris of Kenosha, have lived eerily similar lives. According to court records, Mitchell was first arrested for selling drugs when he was 28 years old. His son, Harris, was first arrested for selling drugs at age 21. Both would be convicted multiple times of selling crack-cocaine.
According to court records, both would graduate to violent crimes. When Mitchell was 35, he was accused of domestic violence as a repeater. He was accused of pushing his wife down. Her face hit a piece of furniture, which caused her to bleed from her multiple areas. When Mitchell was 42, he was accused and arrested for pulling his next wife’s hair, slapping her several times, and pushing her. Harris would be charged shortly after his crack-selling arrest for throwing a brick through a rival gang-member’s front window and beating a man with a baseball bat. Two years later, police and prosecutors accused Harris of choking his now-wife after he broke into her home by kicking in her door. He then dragged her around her home by her hair and neck, asking for drugs and money. He left with her wallet and $600. Both Mitchell and his son Harris spent many years in prison. Both men would write books and participate in the “Fatherhood Franchise”, a group meant to reform convict fathers. Harris has been paid hundreds of thousands of dollars to administer this program in Kenosha County. Both men would work in schools. Mitchell worked at KUSD as a teacher from 2016 until this year, when he was charged of repeatedly raping his granddaughter. How did KUSD miss his criminal history? Harris works as a criminal justice lecturer at University of Wisconsin-Parkside. Both school districts didn’t mind hiring convicted felons who sold drugs and committed violence.
In 2019, Mitchell asked Governor Tony Evers (D) for a pardon. Evers said “no”. Mitchell again applied for a pardon this January 13, 2022. On September 16, 2022, Mitchell was charged with Repeated Sexual Assaults of his granddaughter. On September 17, 2022 we notified the Governor’s Office of this charge. Four days later, the Governor would deny Mitchell’s pardon for the second time due to a “pending criminal case.”
We also obtained copies of both Mitchell and Harris’ pardon applications. Mitchell left out some of his criminal history. He left out a felony drug charge from 1991 and his domestic violence charge from 1997.
Harris similarly left out most of his court conviction documents. The pardon commission denied Harris’ application until he listed and provided documentation for all of his criminal history. He finally gave the Governor all of his criminal history.
File Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye
Another common thread between this father-son duo, is that both of their pardon applications were vehemently supported by Kenosha County’s progressive District Attorney, Michael Graveley (D). Graveley also got Harris his job at Parkside without having a job interview and without meeting any of the criteria. Harris applied for a pardon on October 22, 2019 and again on March 9, 2020. Again, it was delayed because he concealed most of his criminal history. Here is his entire criminal history:
Felony Second Degree Reckless Endangerment
Burglary
Felony Strangulation and Suffocation (Repeater)
Felony Bail Jumping
Felony Bail Jumping
Felony Bail Jumping
Felony Manufacture and Deliver Cocaine on or near a school (Possession with Intent)
Felony Manufacture and Deliver Cocaine on or near a school (Possession with Intent)
Felony Imitation of Controlled Substance on or near a school (Possession with Intent)
Felony Imitation of Controlled Substance on or near a school (Possession with Intent)
Misdemeanor Battery (Repeater)
Misdemeanor Theft (Repeater)
Misdemeanor Criminal Damage to Property (Repeater)
Misdemeanor Disorderly Conduct
Misdemeanor Criminal Damage to Property
Misdemeanor Resist/Obstruct Officer
Ordinance Possession of Marijuana
Ordinance Retail Theft
Ordinance Curfew
Ordinance Curfew
Ordinance Curfew
Ordinance Curfew
Ordinance Curfew
Ordinance Curfew
Ordinance Operating Vehicle after Suspension
Ordinance Operating Vehicle after Suspension
Ordinance Operating Vehicle after Suspension
Ordinance Operating Vehicle after Suspension
Ordinance Operating Vehicle after Suspension
Ordinance Operating Vehicle after Suspension
Ordinance Operating Vehicle after Suspension
Ordinance Operating Vehicle after Suspension
(10) Other Traffic Citations
Harris is scheduled to participate in a pardon hearing this week on October 14, 2022. After this hearing, it will be about a month until he gets the decision. Here is the fishy thing – the agenda was up on the state’s website, but according to the IT company that manages the state website, the agenda was puled down off of the website at the request of the Governor’s office. It will be streamed online and you can watch it here. Harris also has the support of one of Wisconsin’t most liberal judge, Mary K. Wagner. Harris’s record is arguably vastly worse than that of Mitchell. So logically, Harris should be denied just like his old man. This decision will really test Evers’ pardon power. It will test just how important it is for Evers to listen to a liberal ally (Graveley). Stay tuned.
23 Responses
First, I would consider these people separately even though they are related. Maybe Mr. Harris did learn his lesson. Then again, maybe not.
Mr. Mitchell seems like a career criminal. Maybe the governor’s office was a bit inept, it seems, when telling him he had to amend his application. Concealing relevant information would be an automatic denial to any reasonable person.
As for Mr. Harris, maybe Mr. Gravely is right but I think the governor’s office would want to explore it more carefully. One thing missing is the need for a pardon. I would like to see some showing on that point, i.e., it it needed for a professional license. (I know of a few police officers who were able to get hired after they received pardons for things they did while young and dumb. That said, Mr. Harris has more than one or two things on his record.)
He wants to carry a gun and run for public office
Exactly. With his record no way should that be in the cards at this point.
I have seen pardons be life-changing for the right people and under the right circumstances (such as the officers noted above). Many of the current pardons are for people who were 17 or 18 and gave some weed to a “friend” who turned out to be an undercover officer. If they became law-abiding and drug free citizens, then a pardon may be in the public interest. Or the 17-year-old kid who shoplifted a pair of pantyhose but is now a nursing school graduate and wants to get a nursing license. Or the single mom who didn’t report all of her income and got a food stamp fraud conviction that would have been a misdemeanor had she had the money to pay “up front” restitution. She worked every day as a cashier, paid restitution, was not only crime free but had the support of the grocery store owners and the bank that wanted to hire her. None of these people presented a threat to public safety and the likelihood of future criminal behavior is nil. That’s what pardons are for.
Mr. Harris talks a good game but with his record I think he has a lot more to prove and needs more time to prove it.
They probably already do.
In their eyes, I’m guessing that the people that pay for the training
and courses to obtain a license are suckers that bow down to ‘The Man’
The probably feel the same way about license, registration and proof of insurance.
Perfect candidates for a future episode of Court TV.
Do you ever get tired of harassing and stalking people?
Harassing? I bet you meant keeping people well informed, thing the knews chose not to do long time ago. We should be Thankful that we have a Mr. K.
How did all your Charges with FaceBook turn out for you in Walworth County Kevin? Still haven’t learned anything I see. kenoshacountyeye.com ??
I’ve never been arrested, charged, or accused of a crime.
Kevin, When did Harris get out of prison? When did he get off of extended supervision (discharge date)? Has he been crime free since?
I worked in a prison with inmates. A small number (and trust me that the staff knows who they are) really did turn it around. Most of the rest were “con” artists (pun intended) or fairly dangerous.
(Also, truth be told some of the better inmates were some who had long sentences for one particular crime but otherwise posed no problem. That’s why, for example, a 40-year-old convicted murderer who was a contractor before offing his wife ran the infirmary at Green Bay. No way would you trust any of the young punks there around drugs and scalpels.)
Harris might be a good fit at Parkside. Most people (including lawyers) have no idea what it’s really like inside a prison or how they work. He could have some insights nobody else would have. And working with community groups is a good thing. But I also think it’s too soon to tell and his record seems pretty ugly. He probably hasn’t been off paper long enough to have confidence in him.
Also, the DA’s letter is from two years ago. Would he say the same now?
Check CCAP.
CCAP doesn’t have the institutional movement data.
#pro tip
He will get his pardon. The left is looking for criminals they can employ and push the criminals are ok narratives. They both worked in the school system, and both are criminals. The dad is a disgusting old man that should be in prison. But hey, our county supervisors like em too, so that should tell you something
Happy Mr. Harris seems to be doing nicely BUT isn’t that what he’s supposed to be doing? Hopefully Evers will exercise caution.
I see their handler Gravley is all-in for the convicts running the show. Unless you’re white and using self-defense. Crack up Kenosha, get a 100K + job at Parkside and KUSD. Pathetic losers.
I would like to know how he got the government money to run the franchise? I’m a vet with a clean record and work my butt of and I can’t get any assistance on any of my businesses. Anyone know how I can get a grant please reach out.
Julius, you need to start selling crack (and to the right people).
This story is a liberal dream come true ! Career criminals using the system to get put into positions of influence without going through the standard of
Proper screening for these public funded positions. Freeing prisoners is right up Evers and Barnes Way of doing business. I think this story speaks volumes to the seedy business dealings of the DA and other officials who allow this to take place
The real joke is how often that so-called “good” high schools coax/push kids out of their own communities and into places like Parkside to be “taught”.
We Want More News About
Harry Wait, Jay Stone,Sandy Wiedner &
PATRICK MICHAEL FAGAN…..
You know the GOOD GUYS trying to defeat the Bad Guy’s in Your Leftist Run Administration
I want to talk about Mz Kate Herrmann sexually assaulting men in her younger days.
https://youtu.be/mcUaf23GA1s
I don’t see anywhere where you address the current behavior Mr Harris is indulging in not his past, what’s done is done right?? Is he still selling drugs or participating in criminal behavior or is he making a change in himself and his community?? If you have evidence of any current criminal behavior please inform and report , other than that this seems like a personal smear campaign to discredit a man who is doing what he should be doing is changing his life and community for the better.