THE REAL STORY

On Sept. 10, "On the Town" reported that the Dane County District
Attorney's Office suddenly dismissed felony pot-possession charges against
Dominic Bogan, a Madison man who was nabbed with--gasp!--a marijuana stem
in a baggie in his wastebasket at home. This may be a sign, the item
speculated, that the office is getting wary about prosecuting
"embarassingly petty" drug cases.

But records obtained last week by The Capital Times show the charges were
dismissed after it became known that Madison Police Officer Maya
Krajcinovic lied in her report, saying the stem was found by a probation
and parole agent. In fact, she found it herself while illegally
participating in the search. Krajcinovic drew a five-day unpaid suspension.

Assistant DA Mary Ellen Karst, in dismissing the charge against Bogan, said
only that "there's insufficient evidence to prosecute." The underlying
reason for the dismissal was kept secret from the court, the defense and
the public -- until the release of records regarding the discipline against
Krajcinovic.