County Must Pay $6.7 Million Verdict

Stadtmueller also denied the county’s request to have the verdict overturned because Thicklen was not acting within the scope of his job when he assaulted the inmate, an argument the judge already had considered and rejected.

“The Court has already provided to the parties all of the wisdom it can offer on this point,” he wrote in his new decision. “If the County desires a different outcome, it must seek it in the Court of Appeals.”

He also shot down the county’s argument that the jury’s verdict, which included $1.7 million in compensatory damages and $5 million in punitive damages, was excessive.

The county’s arguments, Stadtmueller said, “are half-hearted and merit little discussion. … Contrary to the county’s arguments, plaintiff suffered both physical and emotional injuries as a result of Thicklen’s repeated sexual assaults.”

Specifically addressing the punitive damages award, Stadtmueller said:

“To say that Thicklen’s conduct was merely reprehensible is almost sickeningly generous. He repeatedly raped a young woman at varying stages of pregnancy, abusing the power he had over her in the most heinous manner possible, causing her physical and (lasting) mental injuries at a time when she was exceedingly vulnerable.”

Gretchen Schuldt writes a blog for Wisconsin Justice Initiative, whose mission is “To improve the quality of justice in Wisconsin by educating the public about legal issues and encouraging civic engagement in and debate about the judicial system and its operation.