La Crosse County DA plans series of information sessions about how prosecutors do their jobs

Several high-profile court cases have been shown live on TV in recent years, giving Americans a real-life look at how crimes are handled by the justice system. La Crosse County District Attorney Tim Gruenke is preparing to give citizens more information about how he prosecutes cases.

Gruenke is hosting a series of meetings at the Gillette Street fire station in January and February, called the Citizen Prosecution Program. He says the sessions are designed to address certain questions about the courts that come up repeatedly.

“I can predict the questions that I get when I talk to any group will be, explain the bond system and why some people get out on bond, why some people don’t,” Gruenke recently told WIZM’s La Crosse Talk. “We go through why some people are sentenced to more prison than others, and some not at all.”

Gruenke has scheduled the programs for three Tuesdays in a row, where members of the public can get a closer look at the criminal court process.

“About 20 people will get together for three different nights, and learn what it’s like to be a prosecutor, and learn about the job, and the system, and why do we have the sentences we do, why do people get out on bond the way that they do,” says Gruenke.

Citizens can apply for the sessions through the La Crosse DA’s office by January 6th. The meetings will be held Tuesday nights at 6 p.m., at La Crosse Fire Station 4 on Gillette Street. The first class is set for January 21st.