An arsonist who had jumped bail and faced 30 years in prison got just six months when he went before Dane County Circuit Court Judge Jill Karofsky in 2017.
Dustin J. Palmer admitted to police that he was high on Clonazepam when he lit a fire inside an office in 2016, causing more than $50,000 in extensive smoke and water damage when the sprinkler system turned on.
When Madison Police arrived on the scene, Palmer came crawling out of the building, soaking wet and coughing. WMTV reported at the time that in addition to setting the fire, he "also had entered a restaurant in the building. He scared employees as he went behind the counter and helped himself to a drink from a fountain machine."
The Dane County District Attorney's Office charged Palmer with felony charges of attempted arson and criminal damage to property and three misdemeanor bail jumping counts. At the time of the arson, Palmer was out on bail while three separate misdemeanor cases (marijuana possession and driving after revocation) proceeded against him.
In spite of this, and in spite of the fact that Palmer faced a maximum sentence of more than 30 years in prison on the new charges, Judge Karofsky accepted a plea deal in which he would spend just six months in jail and pay just $4,000 in fines and restitution.
Karofsky herself seemed to recognize the severity of Palmer's crimes, yet let him off easy just the same.
"Mr. Palmer, I'm really glad that no one got hurt, including yourself," Karofsky told him during her sentencing hearing. "It could have been a real disaster."
Karofsky will face conservative Supreme Court Justice Dan Kelly in the Spring Election on April 7th.