(Kenosha County Sheriff)
KENOSHA COUNTY, Wis. — In a significant development, Judge Angelina Gabriele has recused herself from the high-profile Vanderzee cold case murder trial, citing her prior involvement in the matter during her time in the Kenosha County District Attorney’s Office.
(File Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye)
In a court filing Monday, Gabriele wrote: “Court has knowledge of the case from the District Attorney’s Office,” a reference to her role as Deputy District Attorney under Michael Graveley. The Graveley administration, which held office for over a decade, repeatedly declined to file charges in the 2003 homicide despite evidence that current DA Xavier Solis later determined to be sufficient.
The decision ends a weeklong sequence of judicial reversals and procedural uncertainty. Last Friday, both defendants—Roxanna Vanderzee-Collins and John Viskocil—filed substitution requests seeking a different judge. On Monday, they withdrew those requests, apparently clearing the way for Gabriele to remain on the case. But with today’s recusal, that possibility is off the table.
The case has now been reassigned to Judge Gerad Dougvillo, who is broadly regarded within the legal community as one of the most even-handed judges on the Kenosha bench. Attorneys on both sides are expected to view his assignment as a welcome sign of judicial neutrality in a trial that has already garnered significant public and political attention.
Judge Dougvillo has removed a previously scheduled Wednesday bail hearing from the court calendar. The hearing had been requested by DA Solis, who filed motions last week seeking to raise the bail for both defendants from $500,000 to the standard $1 million commonly imposed in local homicide cases.
Both Vanderzee-Collins and Viskocil are now scheduled to appear in court Friday morning for their preliminary hearings, where Commissioner William Michel II will determine whether there is probable cause to bind the case over for trial.
Vanderzee-Collins, who posted bail last week, remains free under court supervision. Viskocil remains in custody at the Kenosha County Jail.
Kenosha County Eye will be present for Friday’s proceedings and continue reporting on every stage of this long-awaited case.
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3 Responses
Cant wait for all this to unfold.
Should be quite interesting. Are the defense attorneys run-of-the-mill Kenosha types or expensive fancies from Milwaukee or Chicago given the big bail posting indication that the Black Widder appears to have been successful in sucking all the $juices$ out of her target and investing well.
Angelina Gabriele is only capable of letting criminals free without consequences so she could not see over this case.