There hasn't been a whole lot of news coverage on the three defendants who recently had their felony armed robbery charges dropped because of an "administrative gaffe." (And why is that?) http://isthmus.com/news/news/alleged-armed-robbers-get-a-break-when-judge-comes-down-hard-on-procedural-missteps/ Not being an insider at the Dane County district attorney's office, I don't have a pulse on their politics or dynamics. And I'm not here to pick on DA Ozanne. I've met him and he seems to be a nice enough person, and he strikes me as fair-minded and articulate. Plus nobody's infallible. We all make mistakes and have bad days. I also get that this office is woefully understaffed and that turnover is an issue. The stress must be immense. But I can't help but ask myself . . . How does something like this fall through the cracks? I mean, these are serious charges. Shouldn't this type of serious offense be prioritized, or shouldn't there be better oversight? How often does this happen? What other types of things are falling through the cracks? For instance, are crime victims being promptly notified about hearings & trials, or when perpetrators are released from jail or prison? And why did this office have time to do what seemed like a pretty thorough investigation of Officer Matt Kenny, but not follow through on a serious felony count? At this point, I have more questions than answers. I do know that the onus for this does not fall on Madison PD, who by the way, is also understaffed and overworked. Matter of fact, I believe lack of follow-through on the part of the legal & judicial systems is insulting to law enforcement. They go through a lot of trouble to get offenders off the street, only to learn that their work has been in vain. And I also know that you and I, as well as victims of crimes, have to walk the same streets as alleged violent felons. Is the onus for this error - as well as other errors - on the judge, the district attorney, or both? I'd love to know your thoughts. Please comment below or feel free to reach me at paula@pjpublications.com All the best. --Paula Fitzsimmons