A new victim and new charges have come to light in the case against former University of Wisconsin student Alec Cook.
This individual marks the 11th victim to come forward in the case.
At the final pretrial hearing, Dane County District Attorney Ismael Ozanne informed the court the University of Wisconsin Police Department was planning to rearrest Cook after learning he had contacted a witness.
UWPD detectives were present at the hearing, presumably ready to take Cook into custody.
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Cook’s attorneys, Christopher Van Wagner and Jessa Nicholson, requested a bond hearing immediately, should their client be arrested after the hearing.
After a brief recess to sort the issue, Ozanne said UWPD would not arrest Cook and would instead refer the charges to the District Attorney’s Office.
The state made no mention of what kind of charges and how many they plan on receiving.
Cook was initially arrested in October and currently faces 21 counts of criminal charges, 16 felonies and five misdemeanors against 10 women. His charges are as follows:
- Seven counts of second-degree sexual assault
- Three counts of third-degree sexual assault
- Two counts of fourth-degree sexual assault
- Two counts of strangulation and suffocation
- Two counts of false imprisonment
- Two counts of stalking
- Three counts of disorderly conduct
Cook was expelled from the university earlier this month after a nonacademic misconduct committee found him guilty of violating UW’s student conduct policies. Cook’s lawyers have since appealed the decision. UW Chancellor Rebecca Blank will have the final say in the matter.
Judge Stephen Ehlke set a scheduling conference for June 5, where trial dates and other hearings will be determined. Cook’s attorneys indicated they will push for a 2018 trial.
A timeline of Alec Cook’s criminal complaints, legal proceedings
