Brown County drug trafficking suspect James Grandberry. (Photo source: Brown County Jail)
GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – James Grandberry, a suspect in a Chicago-to-Green Bay drug ring, finally has an attorney, 14 months after he was arrested.
Grandberry, 36, faces 14 charges, including three of manufacture or delivery of fentanyl, amphetamines and cocaine, after a bust last August. He was arrested on July 11, 2024, and charged about two weeks later. Prosecutors have since said this case was the state’s first wiretap investigation for fentanyl and at least 47 people are facing charges.
The State Public Defender’s Office had been unable to find him an attorney, prompting multiple delays in his preliminary hearing. That’s an early hearing in the case, normally held within ten days of charges being filed. His hearing was postponed at least seven times while the search for counsel continued. The state said it made more than 5,600 contacts while looking for an attorney.
However, court records show attorney Nicholas Gansner, based in Madison, was appointed Wednesday.
Grandberry returns to court Oct. 14, when a preliminary hearing is expected to be scheduled.
The long delay prompted Grandberry to ask for his case to be dismissed, arguing his constitutional rights were violated by the delay itself. A judge denied the motion, but state Court of Appeals has agreed to hear the case. A Fox 11 Investigation detailed the case, and how it’s just one of example of the delays criminal defendants often face due to a lack of public defenders.
Even with Gansner’s appointment, the case before the appeals court continues. Briefs are due in October.
A few years ago, the Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled a Green Bay man’s rights had been violated because he sat in jail 113 days without a preliminary hearing. The charges against the man were able to be refiled.
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