Appeals Court Sides with FDL County in Denying Placement of Racine Sex Offender in Town of Eldorado

A state appeals court has sided with Fond du Lac County in
denying the placement of a sex offender from Racine County in the Town of
Eldorado.


Fond du Lac County District Attorney Eric Toney said the
District II Court of Appeals issued its decision on the appeal Wednesday. The
appeal challenged Racine County’s placement of Preston Rintamaki, a violent sex
offender who was petitioning for supervised release from the Sand Ridge Secure
Treatment Center, at a home in the Town of Eldorado.


The Court of Appeals determined that Rintamaki’s petition for
release was still pending prior to the Racine court ordering placement in Fond
du Lac County – meaning that 2017 Wisconsin Act 184 applied to Rintamaki, and
he must be placed in his home county.


Toney said he and the team working to fight placement of sex
offenders in the county are “pleased” to see the Appeals Court rule in their favor.
“The efforts of former Sheriff Mick Fink in leading this fight have also likely
deterred other counties from attempting to place their violent sex offenders in
Fond du Lac County,” Toney said.


The appeal of the decision was led by the Town of Eldorado’s
Attorney Matt Parmentier and Fond du Lac County Corporation Counsel Meggin
McNamara