JON'S CELL: In Wisconsin and other states, it is illegal for an adult to have sexual contact of any kind with a child of minor age. Doing so places one at great risk for being convicted of a serious crime and spending time in prison. A woman who is currently suspended from her job as a school teacher was apparently surprised to learn she is going jail after pleading guilty to sex crimes.
There are many reasons a defendant might enter a guilty plea in court. In this particular situation, the court agreed to dismiss six other counts filed against the teacher in an amended complaint. What she pleaded guilty to was having a sexual relationship with a 16-year-old boy who had been entrusted to her care while his mother was at work and his father was imprisoned.
The defendant is described by those who know her as a dedicated teacher and mentor. Her attorney said she never intended to harm the boy and merely suffered a lapse in judgment after growing too close to his family. He requested that given the fact the woman has no prior criminal record, she be sentenced to probation for three years with a suspended 18-month prison term.
Many people who had come to court in support of the teacher began to cry when the judge instead sentenced the 31-year-old to two years behind bars. One of the things a defense lawyer can do for someone convicted of sex crimes in Wisconsin is try to mitigate the negative impact of the situation by convincing the court to issue a lighter sentence than what the law allows. A defendant can explore such options with his or her attorney.
Source: jsonline.com, “Teacher gets prison for sex with student“, Bruce Vielmetti, Dec. 2, 2016
