The Fond du Lac County District Attorney says a former Fond du Lac Police detective’s actions would have presented “significant hurdles” in using him as a witness in future court cases. The document released by the city of Fond du Lac mirrors much of the same information released last October regarding former detective Bill Ledger after he reached a settlement agreement with the Department. WFDL news exclusively reported last fall that Ledger hampered a Sheriff’s Office homicide case, improperly disposed of computer evidence in a search related to a drug case and misused confidential police information to help a family member. Prior to the settlement agreement Ledger had been on paid administrative leave for more than a year. In a letter to then interim police chief Aaron Goldstein District Attorney Eric Toney said “The information reviewed includes instances of mishandling of evidence, racial bias, alleged theft, sexist and homophobic memes. Based upon this review, it has been determined that portions of these materials present significant hurdles in using Detective Ledger as a witness, especially in circumstances in which his testimony is not corroborated.” A special prosecutor’s report found the former detective showed poor judgemet, insubordination, and dishonesty. “I hoped my tenure as District Attorney would never include a letter such as this because behavior exhibited is inconsistent with the overwhelming majority of the incredible law enforcement officers I have had the privilege to work alongside and meet, however, based on the totality of circumstances, the Fond du Lac County District Attorney’s Office will not prosecute any future cases involving Detective Ledger as a witness,” Toney said. “This is a necessary step to preserve the integrity of the criminal justice system, ensure that victim rights are protected, and that the Constitutional rights of the accused are protected.”
