Merrill Man To Wait For Public Defender

SHAWANO, WI-A Merrill man who is facing incest charges will be waiting longer for a public defender. James Kropf was in Shawano-Menominee County Court earlier this month. Another status conference has been scheduled for July 5. Once Kropf has an attorney in place, the preliminary hearing will be scheduled. He was charged back in May in relation to two separate incidents in 2021 and 2022 in Bowler. He is facing 40 years in prison and up to $100,000 dollars in fines. It was reported that a call came into Child Protective Services regarding a 10-year-old girl that he cared for. It was reported that Kropf touched her in her swimsuit area, both times touching her in her chest area. Kropf was issued a 50 thousand dollar bond.