Home Madison DA Ismael Ozanne Sued by Former Opponent Over Alleged Workplace Harassment

DA Ismael Ozanne Sued by Former Opponent Over Alleged Workplace Harassment

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Former Assistant District Attorney Bob Jambois has filed a lawsuit against District Attorney Ismael Ozanne, alleging that Ozanne made his job intolerable after Jambois challenged Ozanne in an election last year.

The lawsuit further alleges that Ozanne and three members of his staff violated Jambois’ First Amendment right of free speech by retaliating against him for running against Ozanne and making negative statements about the DA and the DA’s office during the campaign.

According to the lawsuit, following the Aug. 9 election, Ozanne and his staff shifted 20 difficult and complex jury trial cases to Jambois, forcing Jambois to try 31 cases in court in a span of less than two months. The suit also alleges that Jambois was no long allowed to use paralegals to draft certain documents and to follow certain scheduling requirements for witnesses, procedures not required of other assistant District Attorneys.

“Such a crushing caseload, in such a minute expanse of time, was without parallel” in the DA’s office under Ozanne, the suit says. “Jambois’ scheduled trials were complicated, requiring significant time and attention. Under such grueling conditions, Jambois’ ability to try his cases in a satisfactory manner was completely undermined.”

Jambois retired in September 2016, forced by “the extraordinary burdens placed on him,” according to the suit.

“I wouldn’t have a response at this point,” Ozanne told the Wisconsin State Journal. “But you can say I don’t believe we did anything wrong and I’ll look at the document files and we’ll move forward.”