By Hon. Faun M. Phillipson

Green County Circuit Court, Branch 1

To the Editor:

Times reporter Gary Mays has reported incorrectly on Court proceedings in the past, but I can’t let this one go without addressing it.

On September 19th, during a lengthy plea and sentencing hearing at which Mr. Mays was not even present, I sentenced a 19-year old defendant to eight (8) years of probation with one year of jail (in addition to the 412 days he already has sat in jail). His probation has a number of terms, including no contact with minors. Should the defendant fail to comply with any part of his probation during the next eight years he could face the maximum penalties available on each of his charges. He must also register and comply with the Wisconsin Sex Offender Registry Program for fifteen (15) years.

The sentence was the result of a joint recommendation made by the Green County District Attorney’s Office and the defendant’s counsel, which the Court approved.

Gary Mays’s article incorrectly stated that the defendant received eight months of probation. This is not only wrong, but also not feasible ­— the minimum probation allowed for a felony charge is one year. His inaccurate reporting does a huge disservice to the young people involved in this case.

I hope Mr. Mays understands the importance of reporting accurately on such serious and sensitive topics. I absolutely respect the freedom of the press and the Times’s right to publish an opinion regarding my sentences but I do expect the basic facts to be accurate.