The Sconi

Steve Cortes, Senior Political Advisor for CatholicVote, said Susan Crawford was asked about a four-year sentence she gave to a "child rapist," when prosecutors asked for ten years and she answered, "I don't regret that." Cortes made the statement in an X post on March 13.

"Radical ⁦ @crawfordforwi ⁩ has a chance to correct herself — asked about sentencing a CHILD RAPIST to only 4 years in prison," said Cortes. "She could've sentenced the monster to 60, and prosecutors requested 10 years in prison. Her answer: “I don't' regret that."

On March 12, 2025, Wisconsin Supreme Court candidates Susan Crawford and Brad Schimel engaged in their sole debate ahead of the April 1 election, according to Wisconsin Public Radio. The debate, hosted by WISN-TV and Marquette University Law School, addressed pivotal issues such as abortion rights, campaign financing, and union legislation.

Steve Cortes | Facebook

In 2020, Judge Susan Crawford, currently a candidate for the Wisconsin Supreme Court, sentenced Curtis O'Brien, a Dane County man who had repeatedly sexually assaulted a five-year-old girl, to four years in prison. This sentence was lighter than the ten-year prison term and five years of probation recommended by the prosecutor.

When questioned about this sentencing decision during the debate, Crawford defended her actions. She said: "I don't regret that sentence because I followed the law in that case, as I always do."

According to WisconsinRightNow, in this case bail was initially set at $10,000 but was lowered to a $500 signature bond by Crawford. She sentenced O’Brien to four years in prison with six years of extended supervision. Due to time served, he reportedly only served two years in prison. In 2020 while out on bail, Crawford allowed O’Brien to live with his father who resided across the street from an elementary school in Black Earth, Wisconsin.

Steve Cortes is Founder of League of American Workers and a Senior Political Advisor for CatholicVote.