The semester’s most infamous alleged criminals are set for prosecution this summer.
According to Wisconsin court public records, Antonio Pope, Anthony Freda and Bradley Zika will appear in court late May or early June for hearings in each of their respective crimes.
Pope was arrested last December for allegedly abducting and sexually assaulting two women near the UW-Madison campus. The first abduction occurred November 29 on Observatory Drive at approximately 8 p.m., and the other happened almost a week later on Carroll Street at 4 a.m.
Due to DNA evidence, police connected Pope to the crimes.
He currently faces charges on two counts of each of the following: first degree sexual assault, kidnapping and robbery with the use of force. Originally, he planned to enter a plea of no-contest in mid-April but instead fired attorney Dennis Burke and hired John Fiske.
Next week, Pope is scheduled for a status check and from that point on, he has the option to go to trial and fight the alleged charges, which would be slated for late June.
As for Freda—one of three men suspected in a sexual assault that took place in early September near Ian’s Pizza—a sentence hearing awaits him on June 8. He, like Pope, faces a charge of sexual assault and kidnapping. However, Freda’s sexual assault charge differs because he was aided by two others in the gang rape of a then 23-year-old woman.
Dane County Assistant District Attorney Mike Verveer said although it may seem like there are an unusual number of high profile sexual assault cases, it is actually quite common. He also said these types of cases typically drag through the prosecution process.
“The wheels of justice move rather slowly,” Verveer said.
Zika is the one man appearing in court this summer without the label of “alleged rapist.” He faces charges for striking down a UW-Madison student outside Memorial Union with his car in February.
Verveer said Zika could potentially face prison time because he was drunk at the time of the accident. His court case is set for late May.
