MILWAUKEE (WITI) — Three of four Milwaukee police officers
charged for criminal misconduct related to illegal strip searches are due back
in court Friday, April 12th for a motions hearing.
During a pre-trial hearing Tuesday, February 5th a Milwaukee
County judge granted a motion allowing Jeffrey Dollhopf, Brian Kozelek and
Jacob Knight to be tried separately from Michael Vagnini.
Dollhopf, Kozelke and Knight filed a motion to have their
cases heard separately from Vagnini because he is accused of the most
aggressive actions.
34-year-old Officer Michael Vagnini faces 25 counts of
violating the strip search law, misconduct in public office and second-degree
sexual assault. If convicted of these crimes, Vagnini faces up to 40 years in
prison and $100,000 in fines.
41-year-old Officer Jeffrey Dollhopf faces two counts of
violating the strip search law and two counts of misconduct in public office.
Officers Brian Kozelek, 33 and Jacob Knight, 31 each face
one count of violating the strip search law and one count of misconduct in
public office.
The criminal complaint against the officers details several
instances in which illegal strip searches were allegedly conducted. Many of the
allegations began with a traffic stop, leading to a pat down and eventually
what prosecutors say were illegal cavity searches.
The complaint details multiple other instances in which the
officers accused made illegal strip searches during traffic stops as well as at
the District 5 police station. In each of the cases, the officers were
allegedly attempting to get drugs they believed were concealed within body
cavities on the persons they were searching.