CV NEWS FEED // Wisconsin Supreme Court candidate Susan Crawford is facing sharp criticism after defending her decision to sentence a convicted child rapist to just four years in prison – less than half of the 10 year term prosecutors had requested.
During a debate Wednesday night, Crawford was pressed on whether she regretted the lenient sentence for Curtis O’Brien, who was convicted of repeatedly raping a five-year-old girl.
“I don’t regret that sentence,” she responded, insisting that she followed the law and the term successfully “protect[e]d the public.”
Susan Crawford defending her weak sentence of Curtis O’Brien and calling it a “successful” sentence. He raped a 5 year old girl repeatedly and is already out. “I don’t regret that sentence.”
— Wisconsin Right Now (@wisconsin_now) March 13, 2025
He got four years. The state wanted 10. He could have gotten 60. By saying she applied… pic.twitter.com/EnaMp2zrVH
Yet, according to news outlet Wisconsin Right Now, this case is just one of “a string of cases in which Crawford let serious offenders, including violent offenders, go off easy.”
The sentencing has become a central issue leading up to the April 1 election for Wisconsin’s Supreme Court, where Crawford faces Republican-supported Brad Schimel.
Crawford is backed by the Democratic Party of Wisconsin, defund-police-organizations, George Soros, and over 130 liberal judges. Outside liberal groups have poured millions into her campaign, with the Wisconsin Democratic Party alone donating $2 million.
The election outcome will shape the court’s ideological balance, determining whether it keeps its 4-3 liberal majority or shifts direction ahead of crucial rulings on abortion laws, redistricting, voting regulations, and religious freedoms.
Schimel, a former Wisconsin Attorney General who is funded by pro-life groups, underscored the election’s importance at the Wednesday debate.
“I’ve never been involved in anything where the stakes were bigger than this,” he said. “Justice is no longer blind on the Wisconsin Supreme Court; that’s what’s at stake. We have to restore objectivity.”
Meanwhile, CatholicVote Vice President Joshua Mercer stressed the urgency of the election, particularly for Catholics.
“As Catholics, we have a critical role to play here. In 2024, Trump won the Catholic vote in Wisconsin, securing him this critical swing state. If every Catholic supporter of Trump comes out and votes in this election, we win. It’s that simple,” Mercer stated. “If we fail to mobilize, the consequences will be dire for decades.”
He continued, “Every Catholic in the U.S. should be focused on this race… The people of Wisconsin – and our entire country – need us.”