OCONTO COUNTY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – Oconto County will be without a full-time prosecutor after Friday, due to a promotion and a resignation.
Former District Attorney Hannah Schuchart was recently appointed as judge. The only full-time assistant, Richard Zoellner, has his last day Friday, after being hired for a similar position in Brown County.
Gov. Tony Evers has not appointed Schuchart’s replacement, and Zoellner’s position has not been filled.
In the meantime, special prosecutors – retired attorneys and prosecutors from other counties – will handle such duties.
One example of the potential impact of the lack of prosecutors happened at a status conference in a murder case Friday.
Manuel Herrera-Hernandez, 37, is charged with first-degree intentional homicide for the Feb. 22, 2021, incident on Lade Beach Road in Little Suamico. The victim has only been identified by his initials, “M.G.P.”
The case has been beset by delays as it is. There have been multiple changes in his attorney, with gaps of up to eight months to find a replacement. But in February, a two-week trial starting Sept. 21 was placed on the calendar.
After being told the county has no prosecutors after today, Judge James Morrison expressed concern that a new district attorney might not be ready to try the case in less than three months. The case remains on the calendar, at least for now, court records show.
