On witness stand, officer admits ‘botching’ paperwork on purpose
Marquette University Police Officer Isaiah Espino's admission during the trial of a woman he arrested on suspicion of driving while intoxicated led to a felony charge against the officer.
By Derrick Rose
Click here for updates on this story
MILWAUKEE (WISN) — It was a moment Marquette University Police Officer Isaiah Espino visibly seemed to dread.
“You know what’s coming,” defense attorney Emily Bell asked him during the Nov. 11 trial.
“Yep,” Espino replied from the witness stand.
Espino had just delivered testimony for the city attorney prosecuting the case of a woman the officer arrested in April 2023 on suspicion of operating while intoxicated.
The attention of the trial, however, quickly turned to the officer’s actions after the arrest.
Bell presented the judge and prosecutor a set of papers, which included screenshots of text messages.
“Do you recognize this,” she asked the officer.
Espino replied affirmatively.
“Text messages between you and Danielle?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“This shows that you tried to botch up her paperwork,” Bell pressed.
“Yes, ma’am.”
According to copies of the messages obtained by 12 News Investigates, one message started, “This is Officer Espino from MUPD. I just have an update regarding what happened in April. I wanted to give you a heads up. I tried botching up the paperwork so nothing would come of it…”
“Are you impeaching the officer’s testimony?” the judge interjected.
“I am,” Bell told the judge.
The judge asked Assistant City Attorney Zach Hatfield, who called Espino to the stand if he knew about the messages.
Hatfield said he didn’t and had questions of his own for the officer, particularly why he would make direct contact with a person he cited in an investigation.
“She had expressed to me a situation that was going on in her personal life. And I’m kind of, you know, an empath,” Espino said on the stand.
“Have you done this type of action before?”
“No, sir.”
“Have you privately reached out to a cited individual before?”
” No, sir.”
“Have you done it since?”
“No, sir.”
“The information provided in the reports may be inaccurate,” Hatfield said inquisitively.
“It’s not that they’re inaccurate,” Espino replied before Hatfield interrupted.”
“They aren’t as complete as they could be,” Hatfield stated.
“Yes, sir.”
“You omitted certain detrimental facts.”
“Yes, sir.”
That testimony, combined with the texts, were the basis for the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office filing a felony charge of misconduct in office against Espino, according to a criminal complaint filed in Milwaukee County Circuit Court Jan. 16.
Spotted outside his home Jan. 17, Espino declined to answer questions about the case from 12 News Reporter Emily Pofahl.
“I’m not going to make any statements,” he said.
In a statement after prosecutors filed the charge against Espino, a Marquette University spokesperson said, “MUPD has high standards for its officers in accordance with Marquette University’s Catholic, Jesuit values. The behavior Officer Espino is accused of does not meet those standards, and consequently he has been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of an internal investigation.”
The spokesperson, on Jan. 29, said it was his understanding Espino was still on leave.
The criminal case against Espino was already having a ripple effect on the judicial system, according to the complaint.
Prosecutors said a different a Milwaukee city attorney told a top lawyer for Marquette University Police the office would not charge or litigate any case Espino was involved in.
12 News Investigates identified 20 cases, according to city records, Espino was involved in since he joined Marquette University Police in 2020.
Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.
