GREEN BAY, Wis. (WBAY) – A former Waupaca County sheriff’s deputy is taking legal action against Columbia County’s district attorney, claiming her actions are hindering his ability to do his job and impacting public safety.
Officer Justin Malueg claims District Attorney Brenda Yaskal is refusing to prosecute cases he’s involved in. Malueg was working full-time with the Poynette Police Department and resigned in early January because of this. He’s asking a judge to compel the DA to fairly review his cases and publicly affirm his credibility. A court date is set for March.
Timeline of events
Malueg worked in Waupaca County for about four years before receiving his first Brady notice from Waupaca County District Attorney Kat Turner in early 2024. The Brady designation stems from an allegation that he undermined a supervisor by calling a records clerk to ask if he had to follow an order.
During an internal interview, Malueg denied making the phone call as alleged, later realizing he had made a different call, but not to undermine anyone. He says he was told during the internal process that if he resigned and went to work elsewhere, he would not receive a Brady designation. After resigning, he discovered weeks later that Turner had, in fact, issued the Brady notice.
“I wanted to deny that claim of undermining a supervisor so bad, and of course, then come to find out I did make a phone call,” Malueg said. (In reference to how others reacted) “So he’s this big liar. He can’t be trusted. And this is literally what starts all of it,” Malueg said…