P.O. Box 7857
Madison, WI 53707-7857
www.doj.state.wi.us
BRAD D. SCHIMEL
_________________________________________________________________
ATTORNEY GENERAL
January 5, 2016
Contact: Anne E. Schwartz 608-266-6686
AG Schimel: Promises Made, Promises Kept - 2015
Raise Public Awareness on the Opiate Addiction Epidemic
Dose of Reality, a public awareness and prevention campaign to end prescription painkiller abuse in
Wisconsin, was launched in September 2015 through a joint venture between the Wisconsin
Department of Justice and the Wisconsin Department of Health Services. Dose of Reality targets
Wisconsin teens and their families to warn about the dangers of abusing prescription painkillers and
the importance of proper and safe use, storage and disposal of medications.
Coordinate Drug Disposal
Wisconsin DOJ organized two successful prescription drug take-back days in 2015 resulting in the
incineration of more than 84,000 pounds of prescription drugs. DOJ’s website now includes an
interactive map of all of the more than 225 permanent drug take back locations in Wisconsin.
Provide Training for Law Enforcement on Opiate Overdose Investigations and Narcan Use
Wisconsin DOJ hosted dozens of executive law enforcement trainings across the state on narcotics,
overdose investigations, drug take-back programs, and other opiate initiatives. Additionally, the
Wisconsin DOJ hosted a multi-day Opiate Summit in October 2015 for law enforcement, treatment
providers, legislators, and community members. Attorney General Schimel and DOJ have worked
tirelessly to implement HOPE legislation which is designed to combat prescription drug diversion and
prevent deaths from opiate overdoses.
Partner with the Medical Community
Attorney General Schimel has created partnerships with the Wisconsin Hospital Association, the
Wisconsin Dental Association, the Wisconsin Medical Society, the Pharmacy Society of Wisconsin,
and numerous other medical providers on educating their members of the dangers of prescription
painkiller abuse, prescribing habits, and changing the conversation patients have with their doctors.
Advocate for Changes to the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program
Attorney General Schimel advocated for a change to the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program
(PDMP) from seven-day reporting to one-day reporting, now reflected in AB364/SB268.
Address Milwaukee’s Gun Violence Problem
Recognizing the tragic epidemic of gun crime and violence in the City of Milwaukee, and the
importance of working together to make our state’s largest city and economic engine safer, Attorney
General Schimel, along with Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, Milwaukee District Attorney John
Chisholm, Milwaukee Police Chief Ed Flynn and Governor Walker’s Department of Corrections,
reached agreement in July 2015 to all dedicate additional resources to this problem. The Wisconsin
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AG Schimel Promises Kept
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DOJ is providing two highly skilled Assistant Attorneys General to prosecute gun crimes and facilitate
stronger communication and direct accountability between prosecutors and investigators. DOJ has
also committed tens of thousands of dollars to fund overtime costs for dedicated MPD gun violence
prosecutors.
Defend the State of Wisconsin from Federal Government Overreach
The federal government, acting through the Environmental Protection Agency and other
administrative agencies, has repeatedly passed rules and regulations that are contrary to the U.S.
Constitution; accordingly, Attorney General Schimel has taken legal action to defend Wisconsin and
her citizens on the following: President Obama’s Immigration Executive Order, the EPA’s Waters of
the United States rule, the EPA’s “Clean Power Plan,” Little Sisters of the Poor v. Burwell, and the
EPA’s new ozone national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS).
Uphold the Rule of Law
Attorney General Schimel promised to defend the Constitution and the citizens of Wisconsin. Since
taking office, Attorney General Schimel has defended numerous laws passed by the Wisconsin
legislature and signed into law by the Governor: Right to Work, Voter ID, Drug testing for FoodShare
program recipients, Supreme Court Chief Justice Constitutional Amendment, Redistricting, admitting
privileges for doctors, and changes to the Office of the Secretary of State.
Raise Awareness of and Advocate for Victims of Sexual Assault on College Campuses
The Attorney General’s Statewide Sexual Assault Response Team has made sexual assault on college
campuses a priority. The Wisconsin Department of Justice began sexual assault investigation trainings
for campus law enforcement and has started conversations with University officials who share the
Attorney General’s passion for creating safer environments and providing justice for all.
Improve Efficiency of Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Division
In order to ensure timely handling of tips received by the Division of Criminal Investigation from the
National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, the three ICAC components (investigative,
forensics, and statewide task force program management) were brought together under one task force,
ensuring better communication and streamlined operation. Additionally, Attorney General Schimel
created two new supervisory positions within the investigative unit to directly track ongoing and new
ICAC investigations. Last, ICAC agents helped train many local law enforcement agencies to handle
child exploitation investigations. A number of local law enforcement agencies have completed
training and became new ICAC affiliates in 2015.
Encourage and Foster Wisconsin’s Tradition of Open Government
Attorney General Schimel established the Office of Open Government in June 2015 so that all
Wisconsin citizens, elected officials, and government bodies have a resource when it comes to
navigating our state’s public records and open meetings laws. The Office of Open Government hosted
a public records/open meetings webinar. Attorney General Schimel has taken a leadership role by
implementing changes within DOJ, and has improved DOJ’s internal policy on public records,
resulting in a substantial decrease in response time and clearing the existing back log of public records
requests. DOJ has also made records in a number of high profile matters available online for easier
and quicker access by requesters.
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AG Schimel Promises Kept
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Host Wisconsin’s First Open Government Summit
In July 2015, Attorney General Schimel hosted more than 200 members of the media, local, state, and
county government officials, and private citizens for an all-day Open Government Summit. The
Summit was a first step in the conversation about reforming and updating Wisconsin’s public records
and open meetings laws.
Raise Awareness of and Advocate for Victims of Human Trafficking
The Wisconsin Crime Victim Council, under Attorney General Schimel’s direction, has begun
planning the next steps in the fight against human trafficking in Wisconsin. Additionally, Attorney
General Schimel and Department of Children and Families Secretary Eloise Anderson launched a
statewide multidisciplinary Human Trafficking Task Force.
Hire a Statewide Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) Coordinator
Lori Thompson has served as DOJ’s SANE Coordinator since May 2015, providing valuable trainings
and resources to SANE programs across Wisconsin.
Sponsor Domestic Violence Training Events
Wisconsin DOJ hosted several multi-day trainings in 2015 for nearly 300 professionals on topics such
as “Domestic Violence First Responder Best Practices” and “Domestic Violence Investigation Best
Practices.” Eight additional trainings have been scheduled for 2016, in each of the four regions of the
state, for a multidisciplinary audience including law enforcement, prosecutors, victim advocates,
medical personnel, victim/witness specialists, and other community participants.
Hire a Statewide Child Abuse Resource Prosecutor
In the fall of 2015, the Wisconsin Department of Justice began the recruitment for a Statewide Child
Abuse Resource Prosecutor. In December 2015, Attorney General Schimel appointed Tom Fallon to
this position. AAG Fallon will rejoin the Department of Justice on January 11, 2016, where he
previously worked as a prosecutor in the criminal litigation unit. AAG Fallon is widely recognized as
Wisconsin’s foremost expert in prosecution of child abuse, child neglect and child head trauma cases.
Create the Office of the Solicitor General
On November 30, 2015, Attorney General Schimel appointed Misha Tseytlin to become Wisconsin’s
Solicitor General. Tseytlin’s distinguished resume includes graduating first in his class at Georgetown
University Law School, clerking for United States Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy, and
clerking for both the Honorable Janice Rodgers Brown on the Court of Appeals for the District of
Columbia Circuit and the Honorable Alex Kozinski on the Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. In
addition to Mr. Tseytlin, the Office of the Solicitor General is comprised of three appointed deputy
Solicitors General.
Advocate for Child Abuse Legislation
In October 2015, Attorney General Schimel and State Senator Rob Cowles introduced a package of
legislation called “Justice for Children.” Upon enactment, these laws will, among other tools, give
prosecutors the ability to charge repeated acts of child abuse as a single continuing offense, require
that all allegations of child abuse be reported to law enforcement, and provide victims with the right to
have an advocate present during the investigation.
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