Sheboygan judge reverses his decision

Good.

Judge overturns his ruling
Pask now stands convicted and will be sentenced in March

By Eric Litke
Sheboygan Press staff

Sheboygan County Circuit Court Judge Timothy Van Akkeren overturned his own ruling Friday, reinstating a jury's guilty verdict for a Sheboygan sex offender charged with child enticement.

Mitchell D. Pask, 44, now stands convicted and will be sentenced March 21 on the felony offense that carries a penalty of up to 15 years in prison. Van Akkeren will preside over that hearing, after rejecting a prosecutor's request that he recuse himself.

A criminal complaint said Pask attempted to lure a 9-year-old girl into a riverside park shelter, offering her candy to lure her there for sexual contact. The jury convicted Pask after 20 minutes of deliberations Sept. 12, but Van Akkeren overturned the verdict moments later, ruling that the Workers' Water Street Park shelter — a roofed picnic area without walls — was not "secluded" as required in the statutory definition of the offense.

http://www.sheboygan-press.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080112/SHE0101/801120428/1973

I looked at the map back when the story first was reported. And checked out the state law regarding the incident. No question in my mind the judge got it wrong the first time.

consider these types of 'events' from the point of view of the child.

For *all* concerned, I hope they got it right, this time.