(File Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye)
All charges are scheduled to be dismissed against a Kenosha activist and political candidate who fought with police and shouted obscenities at a county board meeting during the Summer of 2022. Joel P. Trudell, 45, of Kenosha, entered into an agreement this morning, the morning of trial, that immediately dismissed the criminal charge of disorderly conduct. If Trudell stays out of trouble for six months, the other charge, resisting an officer, will be dismissed on September 18, 2024. During a short colloquy with the judge, Trudell said that he was not suffering from any mental illness.
(File Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye)
Activist prosecutor Zeke Wiedenfeld (D), the Walworth County District Attorney who approved the sweetheart deal today, didn’t tell KCE why he made such a deal. KCE interviewed Zeke for several blocks asking him about the case. He was so flustered, that he walked about three blocks past his vehicle. This video interview is below.
(Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye)
Circuit Court Judge Anthony Milisauskas today could have rejected the offer but approved it saying, “This is a hold-open agreement and it’s not unusual.”
(File Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye)
In court today to support Trudell and his violence towards police were many other extremist liberal activists. Present in the gallery today were:
Katherine “Kate” Trudell – VP of Wealth Management, Johnson Financial (Trudell’s Wife)
Steffany Caputo – Extremist, activist
Sabrina Landry – Extremest liberal and school board candidate.
Troy Landry – Liberal activist who admitted to serious sex crimes.
(Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye)
(Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye)
(Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye)
Trudell is often seen speaking at public meetings and a lot of people think of his behavior as being “off.” He is a candidate for City of Kenosha Alderman this spring, but Trudell is so extreme, unpredictable, and deranged, that the local Democrat party, which itself is extreme, has endorsed his opponent, Kenny Harper, in the upcoming city council race.
During the June 21, 2022 Kenosha County Board meeting, Trudell was in rare form, according to sources familiar with him. Trudell was constantly interrupting other speakers during the citizens’ comment portion at the beginning of the meeting. He was warned several times by County Board Chairman Gabe Nudo to stop disrupting the meeting.
When I was speaking at the meeting, Trudell was heckling me. Again, Chairman Nudo asked Trudell to stop disrupting the meeting. Seen on this video is me asking the Chairman to address Trudell’s rambling while I was speaking. Police warned Trudell also. He can be seen blowing kisses to the two seasoned deputies present for security.
A few minutes later, Trudell takes the podium and rambles on for many minutes. He then begins to get disorderly and argue with the Chairman. He then suggested that a man who passed him from behind may have had a gun. He went off topic and started verbally attacking members of the board by name, questioning why they accepted campaign contributions, which is normal in elections. After many warnings, Nudo asks the deputies to remove Trudell from the podium. Nudo didn’t ask, nor did he have the legal authority to order that Trudell be arrested. He only has the authority to order Trudell be removed from the podium.
(Kenosha County Sheriff)
The decision to arrest Trudell was made by the deputies themselves after Trudell ignored lawful commands. Trudell said many times, “No sir” to deputies when they told him to remove himself from the podium. He then visibly and obviously resisted arrest. See three below videos of his resisting arrest, including his disorderly conduct when he screamed obscenities in a crowded room with minors.
Eventually, two on-duty deputies and two off-duty Kenosha Police Officers got Trudell into custody. He then began to scream “my wife is an attorney.” Trudell’s wife, Kate Trudell, is in fact an attorney in for Johnson Financial Group in Racine. She is the Vice President of wealth management.
(Facebook.com)
(File Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye)
After the arrest, KCE made contact with DA Graveley (D) and he told us that his office had no conflicts and his office would be making the million dollar decision – to charge or not to charge. In Wisconsin, a peace officer has the authority to make arrests and book individuals when probable cause exists. They cannot, however charge someone. Only duly elected DA’s or the State AG can do that.
The local Democratic party organized a petition campaign. Hours after the arrest, about a dozen or more local democrats reached out to DA Graveley and asked him to ignore Trudell’s crimes and not charge him. KCE was leaked many of these emails. District attorneys are supposed to make charging decisions based on the evidence and the law. They are prohibited from giving in to political pressure. We asked DA Graveley today if he would let pressure from fellow democrats influence his choice. He told us he couldn’t comment on a specific case. We then asked him to commit to generally keeping politics out of his charging decisions. He refused.
Here is a list of the emails we were leaked that DA Graveley received from Kenosha Democrats who asked him to drop all charges or something similar:
Lori Hawkins (Kenosha County Democratic Party Chairman)
Jodi Muerhoff (Kenosha County Democratic Party Secretary)
Tanya Kitts Lewinski (Kenosha Teachers Union President)
Holly Kangas (Kenosha Alderman)
Tenille Kangas-Isome-Fick-Thornton (Signed Kenosha YMCA Member Engagement Director) Daughter of Alderman Holly Kangas
Ronald Stevens (Former boys and Girls Club Director)
Laura Marran
Nina Ferraro (Liberal Activist)
Mary Manthei (2 Emails)
Sam Roochnik
Amanda Townsend
Kaylynn Steinmetz
Stacy Moore
Sue Benning
David Rinke
Marieta “Marie” Huff
Helen Breitenbach
Amy Feret
Amy Brothen
Toni Hanson
Graveley responded to most of the people saying “The Kenosha DA’s Office will continue to try to be neutral referees in these incredibly partisan, tribal times.”
(File Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye)
After telling KCE that he had no conflict and will personally handle the case, he then kicked the case to Walworth County DA Zeke Wiedenfeld (D) who charged Trudell. Graveley didn’t want any political pressure from the left so he refused to prosecute Trudell.
Here is our interview with Walworth County DA Zeke Wiedenfeld. (I am overweight and out of shape, so please excuse the heavy breathing.)
43 Responses
“I am overweight and out of shape” 🤣
Hell ya you are joel
Hey, I thought you couldn’t cover the case? 🤣😂😅
C’mon Sgt. Hard is wrong again? hahaha
So i guess this means i can go to city meetings now, heckle and yell at people, resist arrest and try to charge into the chambers with no consequences. Duly noted.
oh no, this special treatment only applies to the liberals in the area. If you have any conservative leanings or a solid moral compass, you are thrown in the clink
Kevin which will drop first, your balls or your weight? 😆
Joel, I thought you didn’t follow this page? You and fatputo sure like to
Troll. I’m sure this all helps your BS election. Also lotta parents emailing bullen now. Your social media gets looked at. “Educator”
The special prosecutor is correct — he did not “dismiss all charges” today. Only the disorderly conduct charge was dismissed. The more serious charge was “held open” (suspended) and will be dismissed if Trudell stays out of trouble. Judge Milisauskas is correct that this is not an unusual disposition. Maybe a bit odd that it was done on the day of trial.
Did the special prosecutor act inappropriately? Here’s what the Wisconsin Supreme Court (Thompson v. State) said (and has remained good law for 50 years):
“It is clear that in his functions as a prosecutor he has great discretion in determining whether or not to prosecute. There is no obligation or duty upon a district attorney to prosecute all complaints that may be filed with him. While it is his duty to prosecute criminals, it is obvious that a great portion of the power of the state has been placed in his hands for him to use in the furtherance of justice, and this does not per se require prosecution in all cases where there appears to be a violation of the law no matter how trivial. In general, the district attorney is not answerable to any other officer of the state in respect to the manner in which he exercises those powers.”
And what criteria did the Wisconsin Supreme Court cite for the exercise of such discretion?
“The American Bar Association Standard 3.8, relating to the prosecution function, charges a prosecutor with the responsibility of exploring the availability of non-criminal disposition, including programs of rehabilitation, formal or informal, in deciding whether to press criminal charges; especially in the case of a first offender, the nature of the offense may warrant non-criminal disposition.”
“The prosecutor is not obliged to present all charges which the evidence might support. The prosecutor may in some circumstances and for good cause consistent with the public interest decline to prosecute, notwithstanding that evidence exists which would support a conviction. Illustrative of the factors which the prosecutor may properly consider in exercising his discretion are:
“(i) the prosecutor’s reasonable doubt that the accused is in fact guilty;
“(ii) the extent of the harm caused by the offense;
“(iii) the disproportion of the authorized punishment in relation to the particular offense or the offender;
“(iv) possible improper motives of a complainant;
“(v) prolonged non-enforcement of a statute, with community acquiescence;
“(vi) reluctance of the victim to testify;
“(vii) cooperation of the accused in the apprehension or conviction of others;
“(viii) availability and likelihood of prosecution by another jurisdiction.
“(c) In making the decision to prosecute, the prosecutor should give no weight to the personal or political advantages or disadvantages which might be involved or to a desire to enhance his record of convictions.
“(d) In cases which involve a serious threat to the community, the prosecutor should not be deterred from prosecution by the fact that in his jurisdiction juries have tended to acquit persons accused of the particular kind of criminal act in question.
“(e) The prosecutor should not bring or seek charges greater in number or degree than he can reasonably support with evidence at trial.”
The special prosecutor should have been able to easily and succinctly explain his decision. For example, “Trudell is a first offender who got slammed to the floor, handcuffed and hauled away to jail. The degree of harm to society was slight and if he repeats this behavior he still faces prosecution for a class A misdemeanor.” How hard would it have been for him to say that or something similar?
Kenosha needs a States Attorney with some balls. Carli may look like a dude but she has no balls just like gravely and binder.
Don’t forget the judges they are corrupt and overpaid!
Rabbi Smooth approved the case. Oy vey.
The irony of Joel’s Facebook post. Calling others fat. What a clown
You have got to be kidding me. Zero repercussions. What a damm joke
Side note…. The wife get ahold of some
Ozempic? Or just a better angle? She looks a little less bloated. Perhaps she could share with Sabrina
I saved fb posts from Joel Truell under his alias. Joel doesn’t think talking to young children who would be a stranger is wrong. He seems to really like talking to young children about sex. He is a true liberal freak.
Send to kusd and bullen. Let the parents see the clown he is. Expose his fatass
They allow him around middle school children? Christ.
He wore a “Nice Package” shirt to a Harvey PTA meeting where he served as the PTA Treasurer.
Kevin,
Does Joel really teach kids in KUSD? If so
His history and social media posts should be sent to his employer and parents.
It is horrifying to think about. I agree, send to the administration. He should not be around kids let alone teach them!!!
Interesting deal. I would have rather plead to an ordinance violation for DC and have it be done than having to basically be good for a length of time….meaning anything he does is going to be scrutinized.
Is your camera OK after all the pics of extremely fugly people???
Wha???? Charges thrown out!!?? Fat tard boy needs some street cred ! NOW WHAT!!???
This is obviously a move by the Dems to reel-in one of their retards —- charges would have brought credit & notoriety
Your talk is ugly, ignorant, and immature. Grow TF up.
Send to his employer! All of it I sent a email. My kid will not be around that cop hating, disgusting, filth
could you imagine if he was a colored folk republican? he would be jailed for years. Mad Max City, that Kenosha has become with 80+% that took the bioweapon masquerading as a vaccine. Wraned ya, don’t trust your gov leaders, they are leaders of death, google search is long covid prion disease CDC. I think this crazy Americlown has mad human disease. what ya think? is the bioweapon affecting the brains of Americans who were already 10% alcoholics, 25% taking prescription drugs, the average, 8 pills a day, but I know you are all so HeLLthy with you HellCare. Peace from Mexico
This is your brain on drugs….
Typical gravely style.
Bounce it away.
Then tells people that he’s going to stay out of it but then cuts the deal behind the back.
What the fick kind of name is “Tenille Kangas-Isome-Fick-Thornton”
Sounds like somebody that has been through a bunch of husbands.
It’s a newly identified spouse disorder.
A way of displaying the several significant men in ones life while having a concurrent affection to all of them.
He is somewhat relieved he doesn’t have to do hard time with his buddy Sgt Hard
Pull your money out of Johnson Bank and let them know why.
No one, and I mean no one currently employed in this train wreck of a DA’s office should ever be elected to lead it.
What on earth? How does this filthy scumbag continually get off like this? the DA’s office needs to be completely overhauled and Trudell needs to be put on pedo Island where he belongs
Every single one of these people looks exactly like you would expect.
Sabrina Landry and Stefany Caputo are wanna be politicians. They don’t know the first thing about governing schools or governing our city, although they think they do. All they want to do is stick their noses where they don’t belong and stir up trouble
Cowabunga
Conservative Citizens of Walworth County should be made aware of what their fake Conservative Republican DA is doing in neighboring Counties.
That Walworth CO DA always seems to settle. Sad
ANOTHER example of 19th Amendment DEPENDENT Democrat Nazi Priviledge and the NAZIS two tiered INJUSTICE system.
Another part of the broken Kenosha supposed Justice system. This judge needs to be removed from the courtroom, preferably through a window. I could see if it was a first offense, but this ass clown has made it a lifestyle and this judge has now encouraged others to do the same.