Dane County Judge Susan Crawford sentenced a fourth-offense drunk driver who was an illegal immigrant to work-release jail, just months after giving him a break on a separate domestic-violence case, Wisconsin Right Now has documented.
The total sentence that Crawford gave Armando Cadena-Valencia on Feb. 20, 2019? Only four months in the Huber Jail as a condition of 2 years probation. She withheld any other sentence.
She could have given him up to 6 years in prison for the class H felony. The short sentence came even though his 3rd offense OWI occurred just eight months before the 4th. Crawford agreed to dismiss three other charges, including resisting an officer because police say Cadena-Valencia provided a false name.
A year before, the same illegal immigrant also came before Crawford, this time on a domestic-violence related battery charge. That time, she gave Cadena-Valencia probation, with no jail time at all. His probation was eventually revoked, and she then ordered him to serve eight months in work-release jail. Court Commissioner Scott McAndrew gave him a $500 signature bond in that case. The revoked sentence was “deemed served.”
Court Commissioner Jason Hanson gave Cadena Valencia bail of just $500 cash for the 4th offense OWI. His bail was amended to $100 by Judge Nicholas McNamara, court records show. Crawford then inherited the case and made no move to increase his bail. The defendant required an interpreter in court. Court records indicate he remained in custody, however.
“The Court has found that the defendant’s household income is no more than 150% of the federal nonfarm poverty guideline,” a Crawford order notation says. “Therefore it is Ordered that an Ignition Interlock Device (IID) shall be installed and maintained for 50% of the normal costs.”
We came upon the Cadena-Valencia cases through an open records request for all of Crawford’s cases as a judge. We then confirmed Cadena Valencia’s immigration status through an open records request. ICE informed the Dane County Sheriff’s Department that the agency was going to pick up Cadena Valencia at the “completion of his sentence” and take him to Dodge County’s detention center, which is where ICE holds illegal immigrants in Wisconsin. We also asked for any ICE holds requested or rejected, but Dane County did not produce any.
We’ve found a pattern of Crawford giving short jail sentences to repeat drunk drivers. Even 6th offense drunk drivers have escaped prison time from Crawford.
Crawford, a liberal, is running for a seat on the state Supreme Court against former Republican Attorney General Brad Schimel, who is a former DA and is a Waukesha County Judge. He has been endorsed by dozens of top law enforcement officials in the race. She has received the endorsement of the Dane County Sheriff, who has refused to honor ICE holds even for violent offenders. We’ve also documented her short sentences for child molesters, a shooter, the Langdon Street attacker of a UW-Madison student, and more.
According to the criminal complaint in the fourth offense OWI, a City of Madison police officer pulled over Cadena-Valencia on Aug. 13, 2018, on East Olin Avenue in Madison. Cadena-Valencia stated that he had three beers and was coming from work and gave the name Enrique Serrano. He did not have a wallet or identification.
Another officer arrived and noticed a bank card in the name of Armando Cadena-Valencia in the car. Cadena-Valencia said it wasn’t his. The officer ran the information and saw that the suspect had a Wisconsin Department of Transportation photo ID with the defendant’s photograph. His eyes were very glassy and bloodshot.
A breathalyzer registered .20. He was driving with a revoked license. His lengthy driving history of violations is attached to the complaint.
See the criminal complaint here:
