Aug 6, 2008 - Madison, WI
Brian Lawler is arrested and charged with 10 felony counts of stalking for chronic harassment. For nearly a decade he had taunted and bullied neighbors by videotaping, following, and
threatening them. Two of the counts involve victims under age 18, and one is charged as a hate crime involving race. Police reports date back to August of 2001.
Lawler had already been in court to face restraining order and injunction requests and those had been granted to three neighbors. Those injunctions all order Lawler to "cease or avoid
harassment of Petitioner" and specifically order Lawler to "make no hand or face gestures toward the Petitioner or videotape the Petitioner."
Madison Police had known about the situation on Steinies Drive for years. They responded to more than 60 complaints involving Brian Lawler and his family since 2000, including two
disorderly conduct charges.
Lawler's adult criminal record started just after he turned 18, when he called a local police officer and told him "he was going to get shot" after the officer had issued Lawler two
traffic tickets. Since then, Madison Police made 152 contacts with him and that doesn't include the five years he lived in Sun Prairie, and the numerous police contacts over neighbor
troubles there. His criminal history includes convictions for theft, bail jumping, damage to property, prostitution, reckless use of weapons and disorderly conduct for both punching
his father-in-law and beating his wife.
In September of 1998 Lawler received a disorderly conduct citation after he yelled at a 13 year old African American girl who was walking her bike by Lawler's house when he yelled
"What are you looking at ni__er?" A couple months later police investigated a report that Lawler had gotten in a swearing match with a 13 year old African American boy. While calling
dispatch Lawler said "I don't want to have to shoot somebody tonight" and "There's going to be a body in the ditch if this keeps up"
In earlier incidents a probation report from 1985 said Lawler "demonstrated no remorse" for his actions, and was "emotionally disturbed." In 1991 his parole agent attempted to revoke
his probation and send him back to jail. "I am at a loss as to how to continue supervising this defendant", "This defendant causes problems continuously. Hardly a month has gone by
that there hasn't been some police contact, yet he is manipulative enough not to be charged. This behavior seems to be a lifestyle game with him.", "I have no doubt he will have an
excuse for each occurrence as he always has. He leaves victims everywhere he goes. In every instance people are too afraid or too intimidated to do anything but get a restraining
order."
Lawler was ordered to see a psychiatrist and in June of 1991, the doctor wrote Lawler tends to "minimize the seriousness of the situation and to suggest that he had been misunderstood
or that it was someone else's fault.", "His history of impulsive and reckless behaviors, as well as his lack of concern for others is consistent with an antisocial personality", "Mr.
Lawler does not basically believe that he has a problem, rather most often it is that of those around him."
Lawler was sentenced to eight years in prison, and 17 years of extended supervision after his release. The prosecution presented evidence, from transcripts of Lawler's telephone calls
from jail, which showed Lawler blamed his family. He told his wife he was "sold out" and saying to his son "Why don't you go out and commit more crimes and get me arrested for them?
Oh, wait a minute, you already did that. I'm so proud of you. Who is going to be there to take the fall for you when I'm up here?"
Brian Thomas Lawler (41) - Dane County Court 08CF1456, guilty of 8 of the 10 stalking counts -
Made threats against a neighbor's 2-year-old child
Displayed a rifle case and held his fingers to resemble a gun and said "bang, bang"
At the home of a 78 year old woman he threw bags of dog feces and other garbage on her roof and lawn and took her downspout and cut down her bushes
