JUDGE WITHHOLDS NAMES OF UNDERCOVER OFFICERS

Waukesha - A judge Wednesday ruled that a former Muskego woman may
not obtain the names of four undercover officers involved in a
botched drug bust at her house in February.

Circuit Judge Kathryn Foster agreed with the county's lawyer that
granting the woman's public records request for the names would
endanger the officers' safety and hamstring the Metro Drug
Enforcement Unit's ability to do its job.

Attorney Mark Phillips, representing the woman, said the woman
intends to sue the officers who mistakenly raided her home Feb. 14
and law enforcement agencies involved, but she can't do so without
their names. Notice of claims, precursors to lawsuits, must be filed
by June 14, he said.

The Waukesha County Sheriff's Department released the names of nine
of the officers involved but refused to release the names of four who
continued to work undercover with the Metro Drug Enforcement Unit,
Phillips said.

The woman, Susan Wilson, who has moved to Arizona, said officers
pointed a gun at her, handcuffed her and forced her to lie down on
her driveway.

"You can't let these guys be unaccountable just because they're on
this secret drug unit," Phillips told news reporters after Foster's
ruling. "That's what the judge did. She made them unaccountable."

Assistant Waukesha County Corporation Counsel Steven Schmitz said
Phillips could get all of the officers' names during depositions
after lawsuits are filed and add them as plaintiffs later.

Phillips agreed, but said the officers could argue they weren't given
proper, timely notice of the claims.