Today, the trial of a 61-year-old pastor from Agape Love Christian Church here in Kenosha has been postponed until December 16, 2024. Pastor Monroe Mitchell III stands accused of repeatedly sexually assaulting his own granddaughter. Late evidence sparked defense attorney Aileen Henry to ask for an adjournment.

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Henry said she was “blind-sided” by Assistant District Attorney Alexandra Smathers when she got two witness statements after the final pre-trial on May 30, 2024. Henry said she didn’t have enough time to investigate the two new witnesses. One was disclosed to the defense on May 30, and the other, on June 6, just four days ago.

Kenosha County Assistant District Attorney Alexandra Smathers said it’s normal for her to find extra evidence late in the trial process, stating that she was talking to witnesses and the new names came up. “I sent my detective to take the statements,” Smathers told the court, asking him to deny adjourning the trial.

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Kenosha County Circuit Court Judge Anthony Milisauskas asked Smathers to review the two new statements from the new witnesses. After the review, he said, “Theses [statements] are damaging to the defendant. Talking about touching on the inner thighs, and ‘down there.’… I don’t know how the defense can go to trial today… If we went to trial, it would be a pancake – the court of appeals would flip this case… It’s not an unreasonable request for an adjournment and it makes sense.”

According to the criminal complaint:

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The now-16-year-old victim told her teacher on Thursday, September 15, 2022 that her grandfather, Monroe Mitchell III touched her private areas many times for the last year. She lived with him and her grandmother. The assaults started when she was 15. The young woman and her other grandmother talked to DCFS about in 2021, and she said “[DCFS] didn’t do anything.” After DCFS refused to act, she felt “trapped in a cage.” After Mitchell would touch her privates he would tell her to “keep it between us.” He would often enter her room when her underwear was the only thing on and ordered her to keep her bedroom door unlocked. She told a KPD detective that the assault happened most recently in the summer of 2022 – she said Monroe tried to touch her vagina under her shorts, but she resisted. Monroe denied the allegations to police.

DCFS staff are mandatory reporters and KCE is unaware whether or not DCFS notified Kenosha police as they are required by law. DCFS is often criticized for not doing complete or any investigations, so many would blame this terrible mistake on the incompetence of the DCFS office here in Kenosha County, but we learned something alarming. Monroe Mitchell III is the father of Kenosha violent felon and Parkside professor, Sharmain Harris. We told you that Harris was making hundreds of thousands off of the County thanks to John Jansen, Kenosha County’s Director of Human Services. Samantha Kerkman did not renew this contract. Like his son, Mitchell is a convicted felon for selling crack. Like his son, Monroe has domestic abuse charges and convictions. Like his son, he has recently asked governor Tony Evers for a pardon. Like his son, DA Graveley supported Mitchell’s pardon. DA Graveley decided that his office taking this case isn’t a conflict of interest.

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Kenosha’s DA, Mike Graveley, is a big supporter of Pastor Mitchell and his family. So supportive, in fact, that he asked Governor Tony Evers to pardon Mitchell’s felonies. Mitchell has a serious criminal history including the following charges and/or convictions:

1985 Obstruct Officer
1985 Disorderly Conduct
1991 Felony Possession of Controlled Substances
1991 Probation Violation
1991 Probation Violation
1994 Felony Manufacture/ Delivery Crack Cocaine (4 Years Prison)
1997 Domestic Abuse / Domestic Battery
2004 Domestic Abuse / Disorderly Conduct
2022 Repeated Sexual Assault of a Child and Two Counts of Attempted Fourth Degree (Pending)

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DA Graveley is a big supporter of Monroe Mitchell’s son Sharmain. Both of these men have a very similar and extensive criminal history of domestic violence and selling drugs. Graveley nonetheless wants both men to have their felonies pardoned.

KCE will be at the December Trial.