Nicole Schantek, 33, of Kenosha – Photo by Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office
KENOSHA, Wis. — A Kenosha woman who struck and seriously injured a 15-year-old boy while driving drunk last year will not serve traditional jail time after Judge Jason A. Rossell (D) sentenced her on Wednesday, October 23 to one year in the county jail — but with full Huber privileges for any proper purpose, meaning she may never spend a night behind bars.
Nicole L. Schantek, 33, pleaded guilty in May to one felony count of injury by intoxicated use of a vehicle. A second count of hit-and-run causing great bodily harm was dismissed by the State as part of a plea agreement. Schantek appeared for sentencing on October 23 before Rossell, a known left-leaning Democrat and former county public defender.
Judge Rossell gave Schantek until November 1 at 8 a.m. — a full nine days after sentencing — to report to the Kenosha County Jail to begin her Huber term. He granted her privileges for “any proper purpose,” meaning she may leave jail for work, to seek employment, to attend school or job training, to attend church, to obtain medical, mental health, or dental treatment, to perform community service, to care for her children or other family members, and to attend counseling, treatment, or educational programs approved by the jail administrator. Sources familiar with jail procedures say the Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office frequently allows inmates on Huber to serve their sentence on electronic monitoring, meaning Schantek could potentially serve her entire one-year term at home on house arrest.
Records obtained by Kenosha County Eye show that since Sheriff David W. Zoerner took office on December 27, 2022, more than 350 inmates have been approved for electronic monitoring by the Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office through September 2, 2025. The six-page internal jail record, titled Electronic Monitoring Cell Housing History, lists each inmate who served part or all of their sentence outside of the physical jail facility under house arrest conditions.
District Attorney Xavier Solis appeared for the State at sentencing, while defense attorney Frank Parise represented Schantek. Court records show that Rossell also imposed an $800 fine plus court costs, ordered two years of driver’s license revocation, a two-year ignition interlock requirement, and OWI assessment and treatment. Schantek was granted credit for one day already served.
According to the criminal complaint, Schantek was intoxicated on April 13, 2024, when she struck a 15-year-old boy riding an electric mini-bike at the intersection of 22nd Avenue and 24th Street. The victim suffered a broken femur and was screaming in pain when officers arrived. Schantek’s truck left the scene and was later found nearby with front-end damage and a warm hood. Officers noted a strong odor of intoxicants, bloodshot eyes, and unsteady balance. Schantek told police she thought she “hit a pothole” and admitted to drinking five or six Coors Light beers earlier that evening.
The conviction is a Class F felony carrying a maximum of 12 years and 6 months in prison and a $25,000 fine. Instead, Schantek will serve her sentence under a system many critics describe as “soft justice.”
The case underscores what some in the community see as lenient treatment for aggravated OWI offenders in Kenosha County. In recent months, several high-profile drunk driving cases have resulted in noncustodial or Huber sentences, prompting speculation that judges like Rossell are fueling a culture of light punishment that fails to deter dangerous behavior.
If allowed to complete her sentence under Huber or electronic monitoring, Schantek will be free to work, attend church, run errands, care for family members, and sleep at home each night — while technically “in custody.”
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34 Responses
Not at all surprised. She’s been a drunk mess since highschool.
You been a dumb cunt since kindergarden
You sound pleasant 😆
This must be her or one of her enablers!! SHE COULD HAVE KILLED THAT BOY!!
I can fix her.
That fat fuck judge is a flaming homo right?
C’mon, don’t go there. She’s got to be his friend or a friend of his family. Something to look into. He usually doesn’t rule like that.
Attorney Dav
Her mom is a former Somers elected official.
There you go, friends will JR?
Nicole’s aunt was an elected official. People need to fact check.
Frank Parise and Rossell are best friends and scratch each other’s nuts. This is why she got a sweetheart deal. As long as Rossell is on the bench, this will be the absolute norm for all who go before him with Frank as their legal counsel.
💯
Oh yeah the “untouchable” Frank
Frank is the GOAzt of lawyers 💪
Why do we bother? Just let everyone do whatever they want…it’s a waste of time and money to pay these judges
33huh? 🤔 I think I can fix her. Damaged women are my favorite!😁
You got a great chance to be her man. She is a drunk with very poor judgement. She likely prefers loser men and you are among the most elite of all the loser men in Kenosha.
Why did the state enter a plea agreement waiving the hit & run causing great bodily harm? That sounds like a problem.
Because the state reviewed the case and found out the boy ran into her and hit the side of the truck. Which is why there was no hit and run. Also the boy forgave her in court. Said he wants her to move on with her life.
Surprised the whole thing wasn’t thrown out after that bit of information. Imagine driving your vehicle in the middle of night driving along through a construction zone and feel something hit the side of your truck. As a man I’m probably checking my vehicle to see if there’s any damage. As a woman you’re probably not getting out your vehicle in the middle of night.
That IS good information to know! I’m glad he was able to forgive her.
This is the stupidest thread I’ve seen yet. Your justification of her failures is amazing. She’s a drunk and too arrogant to admit she’s a shitty person.
They forgot to tell you that after hitting the boy, she went up on the grass and hit a park car backed up by the boy as he was screaming in the road and then took off. The reporter needs to get his facts straight. He doesn’t know what the hell he’s talking about.
You been a dumb cunt since kindergarden
We heard that one before. Yawn.
It’s, you have been. Example. You have been a moron your entire life, and will continue to be.
I had seen her hanging out in a couple bars while the case was still pending.
She has family everywhere she has always acted like she could do whatever she wanted and this just makes her think that even more. She was just at the county fair drinking and she drove home still!!!! She does not have any remorse for what she did. She is just a terrible person ALWAYS HAS BEEN!!
People need to start calling in on these assholes out on bond drinking. The see no evil, speak no evil, hear no evil culture is making our society sicker. There is NO accountability.
I didn’t know her situation or hear anything about it until I just seen this article 2 days ago or best believe I would have
This is a complete lie. She does NOT drink anymore and knows that she fucked up. Anyone that knows her knows she never in her right mind would do this. This was a HUGE fuck up but she does not drink anymore and is so remorseful. Stop spreading lies
She’s a drunk.
Rossell was never a county public defender. He started at an Assistant DA, became a private defense attorney and then a judge.
https://kenoshacountyeye.com/jail-bookings/?details=2025-00006568