This (relatively old) fact does not seem to have been widely reported, other than an article in the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel three years ago, but I thought that it would be interesting and important to return to it today, with the recent developments in Wisconsin and the imminent election.
The events, as they are, are pretty simple.
In 1979, then Outagamie County District Attorney David Prosser told a mother he did not want to prosecute a Green Bay priest who had abused her sons because "it would be too hard on the boys," newly released documents indicate
The priest went on to abuse multiple other children before being sent to jail in 2004. According to the article, there was a "steady stream" of complaints about him, as he got shuffled from one parish to another, not to mention multiple other crimes (including smuggling drug paraphernalia which he traded for sexual favors from jail inmates, harassing officers who stopped him for his multiple traffic violations,etc.)
At the time, Prosser didn't reply, because he was involved in a case which was being litigated.
Now a justice on the Wisconsin Supreme Court, Prosser is set to hear a case brought by another priest that could result in Feeney being freed from the Fox Lake Correctional Institution, where he is serving a 15-year sentence.
However, the story doesn't seem to have been followed up at all - this was literally the only article I could find on it - so I don't know how the developments turned out (any Wisconsin natives capable of adding their insight?)
I did some more research, and found a few more articles, though it seems to not have been well-reported (most of the articles are archived and hidden behind a pay-to-view wall now.)
Prosser later commented that he did "nothing wrong" regarding the case, and said he didn't prosecute because he did not think he could win. He seems to have eventually recused himself from the case.
Whatever happened, he certainly didn't leave a good impression on the then-children who he refused to help.
"I was ready to take the stand," Troy Merryfield [one of the abused children] said Monday. "He (Prosser) said it would be too embarrassing for a kid my age and said what jury would believe a kid testifying against a priest? Then he said, what really makes it bad is that Feeney's brother, Joe, sang on the Lawrence Welk show and everybody watched that back then."
Since this story is three years old and hasn't been followed up at all, I would guess most of the state never heard about it. Lets do our part in spreading the details,
The election is on April 5th.
Update 1: Did some more digging, found a few more articles on this which I used to flesh out this diary a bit (see part right after struck-through section)
Update 2: Thanks to Naranjadia, we have another article on the case. It goes through the main points that I've covered in this diary, but gives some additional detail. (Also, the original version of the same story.)
"I told Sharon (Merryfield) that a trial was going to be a test of credibility of two young boys against a priest," Prosser said. "I believed the boys. Their credibility would be attacked in court. They would be national news. It would be difficult for them at trial and in their small community."
He claims that he raised concerns about Feeney's conduct with the bishop, and was told that the issue would be taken care of. If true, this would make his behavior more excusable. I also edited the title of this diary a bit seeing this.
Still, at the very least, Prosser allowed the church to keep the case out of the public eye (according to the documents.)
However,