District Attorney Blanchard’s
post-trial letter to Patty

DISTRICT ATTORNEY
DANE COUNTY

March 15, 2004

Patricia [last name redacted]
c/o Hal Harlowe
Hal Harlowe & Associates SC
[...]

Re: State v. Joseph Bong Case No. 02-CF-1166

Dear Ms. [redacted],

I write for two purposes now that the defendant has received fair trial in this case. First, I apologize to you and your family on behalf of this office for errors of this office in 1997 and 1998 that caused you unnecessary anguish over a number of years. Second, I thank you for your gracious and courageous cooperation with this office over the last approximately three years while this office pursued the case against Joseph Bong.

First, as you know well, the evidence that emerged in evaluating this case for charging Joseph Bong and then preparing the case trial reveals that this office should not have charged you with the crime of Obstruction in 1998. I do not believe there was malice behind the decision to charge you, but it is now obvious that pursuing the Obstruction case was a mistake that had grave consequences for you and your family, and also potentially for the safety of others. If it's any consolation to you, the errors of this office have resulted in a great deal of introspection here about how we handle cases of this type, reflection that should translate into better responses to victims in the future. While this Office takes pride in what we believe are appropriately aggressive and usually successful prosecutions of sexual assault cases, none of that erases the particular harms done to you, and for that I sincerely apologize on behalf of this office.

Second, one of the most moving parts of a prosecutor’s job is working with victims and witnesses who respond to abuse with dignity and to lies with honesty. We do not judge victims for their level of heroism; a crime victim or witness is not responsible for having to be a hero under miserable circumstances that he or she did not create. But you have done what many people would be afraid to do, and in doing so have won the genuine admiration of the staff of this office.

There is no need for you to respond to this letter in any manner. We still have the emotional and important sentencing phase of this case to get through. Please let me, Judy, or Mark know if you have any questions or concerns at this point in the process.

Sincerely,

[signed]

Brian W. Blanchard

C: Deputy District Attorney Judy Schwaemle
Suzanne Beaudoin, Manager, Victim Witness Unit Manager
Victim Witness Specialist Mark Kerman
Special Agent Liz Feagle, Wisconsin Department of Justice
Kelly Anderson, Rape Crisis Center
Chief Richard Williams, Madison Police Department

[End of document.]