Wisconsin Man Wants $450,000 From State for Wrongful Conviction

A Wisconsin man wants the state Claims Board to give him $450,000 for what he says was a wrongful conviction.

A jury convicted Maxwell Verkuilen in 2004 of sexually assaulting a woman he met in an Appleton bar. An appeals court overturned the verdict and sent the case back for a new trial, finding Verkuilen’s public defender failed to rebut a sexual assault nurse’s testimony. The alleged victim, however, refused to release her medical records and prosecutors dismissed the charges.

Verkuilen and his attorney told the board Tuesday that the state is responsible for the public defender’s performance and the case had no basis. Deputy District Attorney Melinda Tempelis argued Verkuilen shouldn’t be paid because he wasn’t exonerated.

It wasn’t clear when the board might issue a decision.