Jury trial set for Rep. Bill Kramer on sexual assault charges

Bill Kramer (right) waived his right to a preliminary hearing in Waukesha County Court in May on sexual assault charges. A jury trial has been set to begin Oct. 28. Credit: Journal Sentinel files

By Journal Sentinel staff

A jury trial has been ordered to begin Oct. 28 for state Rep. Bill Kramer (R-Town of Waukesha) on sexual assault charges, online court records show.

Kramer, the former No. 2 lawmaker in the Assembly, was charged in March with two felony charges of second-degree sexual assault stemming from an incident three years ago.

According to the Waukesha Freeman, Kramer's attorney Eduardo M. Borda said Friday that Kramer will fight the allegations that he shoved a woman into a car, tried to kiss her, touched her indecently and made inappropriate comments to her outside a Republican Party event at a Muskego tavern in 2011.

The assault charges were filed this spring after Kramer drew widespread criticism for allegedly harassing two other women, one a legislative aide and the other a lobbyist, in a more recent case.

Kramer is accused of groping the staffer and harassing the lobbyist while at a fundraiser in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 26.

The legislative aide has filed a personnel complaint against Kramer.

Assembly Republicans stripped Kramer of his title as majority leader in March.

After the incident in Washington, Kramer entered treatment for unspecified reasons.

Court records say a jury status hearing is scheduled for Oct. 23 in advance of the planned start of a jury trial.