MADISON (WKOW) -- A veteran's well-documented campaign for a pardon from Governor Scott Walker (R-Wisconsin) has resulted in proposed legislation that would allow judges to consider post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as a mitigating factor in sentencing.
Marine Corps veteran Eric Pizer first told his story to 27 News in 2013 about punching a man during an after-bar altercation in Grant County, while on leave in 2004. It resulted in a felony battery conviction. Pizer believes he was suffering from PTSD at the time of the incident.
Pizer has asked Gov. Walker for a pardon several times so that he can pursue a law enforcement career, but Gov. Walker has said repeatedly he will not grant any pardons.
Rep. Dianne Hesselbein (D-Middleton) said the Pizer case haunts a constituent of hers who is also a veteran.
"And he said does it even have to get that far? If judges would take PTSD at the time of sentencing, take that into consideration, would this have ever happened to Eric Pizer?," asks Rep. Hesselbein, who began working on the bill after that conversation.
"There's people that don't think this is a problem, don't think it's a medical issue and it is. It clearly is," said Dane County Circuit Court Judge David Flanagan.
Judge Flanagan runs the Dane County Veterans Treatment Court, a drug diversion court for military veterans. He and other veterans court judges helped Rep. Hesselbein craft legislation calling for judges to consider PTSD when sentencing a veteran.
"It's to try to consider - what are the needs of this person? And if treatment is a serious need that should be considered, it should be on the table. The judge should know about it," said Judge Flanagan.
"I'm hoping they'd get more treatment in the sentence, especially whatever caused the post-traumatic stress disorder, really dive down into it to say what is that issue and how can we help veterans in the State of Wisconsin?,''' said Rep. Hesselbein.
The bill has been referred to the Assembly Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety.
