As Outagamie County district attorney, Biskupic let potential defendants buy their way out of trouble. As a judge, he offered deals that fell in a ‘gray area’ of the law.
Category: Open and Shut
For nearly three years, investigative reporter Phoebe Petrovic has been looking into the actions of two former prosecutors in Wisconsin’s Fox Valley. “Open and Shut” shows how these district attorneys got away with bending the rules for years — sometimes with lasting and tragic consequences. Listen wherever you get your podcasts or at wpr.org/openandshut
“Open and Shut” is a project of Wisconsin Watch and Wisconsin Public Radio.
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Wisconsin prosecutor campaigned on his record — but some high-profile cases had hidden flaws
One of Outagamie County District Attorney Vince Biskupic’s cases involved a rewritten police report; another, an exoneration.
Posted inJustice & Safety, Open and Shut
Two decades after high-profile murder trial, questions remain in the prosecution of Ken Hudson
A possible Miranda violation, a missing taped ‘confession,’ and an improperly charged girlfriend among the flaws in Vince Biskupic’s case.
Posted inJustice & Safety, Open and Shut
A horrific murder. Police helped a key witness. The prosecutor kept it secret.
District Attorney Vince Biskupic never revealed how police helped his witness. But she finally did — more than 20 years after the fact.
Posted inJustice & Safety, Open and Shut
Two prosecutors accused a man of plotting to murder one of them. Years later, a different story emerged.
The Wisconsin case was tainted by secret tapes, unreliable witnesses and a supposed ‘hit’ plot against Winnebago County District Attorney Joe Paulus.
Posted inJustice & Safety, Open and Shut
The rise and fall of Winnebago County District Attorney Joe Paulus reveals the immense power of prosecutors – and how it can be abused
This is the second installment of Open and Shut, a seven-part podcast and online series investigating the virtually unchecked power of prosecutors. See the entire project at wpr.org/openandshut Episode 2 – The Golden Boy Remember the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic? Way back in 2020, when everyone was stocking up on hand sanitizer and toilet […]
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Prosecution included questionable witnesses, racial stereotype, in 2000 arson trial of Dale Chu
The Outagamie County case featured District Attorney Vince Biskupic who called one of his key witnesses ‘credible’ — then charged him with perjury 10 days later.
Posted inJustice & Safety, News & Announcements, News about Wisconsin Watch, Open and Shut
Open and Shut: New investigative podcast illuminates the power of prosecutors in Wisconsin
Wisconsin Watch and Wisconsin Public Radio have launched a new, seven-part podcast and web series, Open and Shut, that shines a light on the power of the prosecutor — and its impact on victims, the accused and the justice system.
Posted inJustice & Safety, Open and Shut
Open and Shut: Podcast preview
Watch and listen to a preview of “Open and Shut,” the new podcast from Wisconsin Watch and WPR that shines a light on how prosecutors do their jobs — and the danger of allowing that power to go unchecked.