Here's where the criminal charges against Waupun prison staff currently stand

JUNEAU – After one former correctional officer was convicted of a misdemeanor charge tied to the death of a prisoner at Waupun Correctional Institution, court proceedings continue for eight other staff members accused in connection with the deaths at the prison.

In June, Wisconsin's oldest maximum security prison made national news when its warden stepped down . Days later nine staff, including the warden, were arrested and criminally charged .

Seven staff members were charged in connection with the February death of 62-year-old Donald Maier, and three were charged in connection with the October 2023 death of Cameron Williams.

The Dodge County Medical examiner found Maier died of malnutrition and probable dehydration, and determined his death was a homicide . Williams died of a rare stroke, after other prisoners say his calls for help were ignored .

Here is the status of the staff members' cases:

One case resolved

Sarah Ransbottom, 36, of Oshkosh, was the first of the staff members charged to have her case resolved. Ransbottom pleaded no contest Sept. 26 to violating the law of a state or county institution , a Class C misdemeanor, and was sentenced to a fine of $250.

Ransbottom was originally charged with misconduct in public office, a Class I felony, but pleaded to a lesser charge. She signed her initials, or allowed her initials to be signed by someone else, on paperwork noting she completed two cell check rounds she did not complete on the restrictive housing unit, where Maier was housed.

Completing and signing off on rounds in the restrictive housing unit every half hour was a part of a new policy implemented at the Waupun prison after Williams' death in October, Ransbottom told USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin. Her attorney, Greg Petit, said at Ransbottom's sentencing hearing that a memo was sent out internally to staff members regarding the policy change.

Despite the log showing otherwise, security footage showed that Ransbottom did not complete cell check rounds on the restricted housing unit where Maier was held between 4 and 4:30 a.m. Feb. 20 and from 2-2:30 a.m. Feb. 22.

Officers realized Maier was dead just before 3:30 p.m. Feb. 22, according to a criminal complaint. The medical examiner determined he likely died sometime that morning.

Aattorneys for both the prosecution and defense stated Ransbottom had the least involvement in Maier's death compared to the other six staff facing charges. Dodge County Circuit Court Judge Martin De Vries said Ransbottom's wrongdoing "did not cause or contribute to anybody's death."

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Eight cases still pending

The remaining eight Waupun Correctional Institution staffers facing criminal charges have upcoming telephone scheduling conferences, a type of hearing where the judge and attorneys meet off the record.

Jessa Nicholson Goetz, attorney for Alexander Hollfelder, a former correctional sergeant facing charges, said the telephone scheduling conferences are a result of large amounts of evidence and the need to coordinate among attorneys.

"Given the scope of the investigation, I would expect that these cases will continue to have discovery come through for the next few months," she said in an email. "So there's nothing really out of the ordinary here, it's just a case involving a large institution with a lot of paperwork and a lot of co-defendants."

All defendants have entered pleas of not guilty.

The following are their upcoming hearings:

• Tanner Leopold, a former correctional sergeant charged with abuse of residents of penal facilities for Williams' death, has a telephone scheduling conference for 1:30 p.m. Oct. 28.

• Brandon Fisher, a correctional lieutenant  charged with abuse of residents of penal facilities for both Maier's and Williams' deaths , has a telephone scheduling conference set for 1 p.m. Nov. 6.

• Randall Hepp, the former warden who is charged with misconduct in public office, has a telephone scheduling conference set for 11:15 a.m. Dec. 3.

• Hollfelder, a former correctional sergeant  charged with abuse of residents of penal facilities for Maier's death , has a telephone scheduling conference set for 11:15 a.m. Dec. 5.

• Gwendolyn Vick, a nurse who  is charged with abuse of residents of penal facilities for Williams' death , has a telephone scheduling conference at 9 a.m. Dec. 9.

• Jamall Russell, a former correctional officer charged with abuse of residents of penal facilities and misconduct in public office for Maier's death, has a telephone scheduling conference for 8:30 a.m. Dec. 16.

• Jeramie Chalker, a former correctional sergeant charged with misconduct in public office for Maier's death, is scheduled for an arraignment at 10 a.m. Jan. 6.

• Jessica Hosfelt, a nurse who  is charged with abuse of residents of penal facilities for Maier's death , has a telephone scheduling conference 10 a.m. Jan. 6, and a motion hearing 9 a.m. Feb. 25.

Contact Kelli Arseneau at 920-213-3721 or  karseneau@gannett.com . Follow her on X, formerly Twitter, at  @ArseneauKelli .

This article originally appeared on Appleton Post-Crescent: Here's where criminal charges against Waupun prison staff stand