MADISON (WKOW) -- Dane County's district attorney has dropped a domestic abuse case against a Sun Prairie man, after Sheriff David Mahoney highlighted the arrest as part of an annual round-up of suspects in domestic abuse cases.
Fifty-three-year-old Todd Finkler, of Sun Prairie, was jailed on October 17 on a tentative charge of physical abuse of a child. He was released on October 19. The reason for Finkler's release in jail records is listed as "declined to prosecute."
"It's embarrassing," Finkler tells 27 News.
"Two days in jail, thinking about everything, of me going a felony charge, to be having to get a lawyer, get out of something I didn't do," says Finkler.
District Attorney Ismael Ozanne has yet to respond to a request for comment from 27 News.
Sheriff's spokesperson Elise Schaffer says correspondence from the district attorney's office indicates the case lacked prosecutorial merit due to the age of the victim, and his association with the suspect. Schaffer says the person involved was a 17-year-old boy.
Schaffer says Finkler head-butted the teen.
Finkler denies any attack, and says he and the teen accidentally collided after they argued about arranging a ride to a business.
The arrest of Finkler and two other men were highlighted in a October 18 sheriff's news release headlined, "Dane County Sheriff's Office Participates in Annual Family Violence Apprehension Detail."
The news release explains the sheriff's office joined with more than 100 other law enforcement agencies across the country to devote resources for a day to arresting people on warrants in connection with domestic violence. Inclusion of Finkler's arrest includes the parenthetical note of "new arrest."
Finkler served a short jail sentence last year on a disorderly conduct conviction. Court records state Finkler hurt a teenage girl in his household by forcefully pulling her hair.
"I was wrong," Finkler tells 27 News.
Finkler says his recent teenager accuser waited a day before contacting authorities. Sheriff's officials have yet to release records to 27 News related to the incident and arrest.
Schaffer says the sheriff's office stands by its actions with Finkler, calling his apprehension "...a valid arrest."
"I don't see how I can be guilty of something when I don't even know what I've been charged with, I haven't even been in court yet," Finkler says.
