Judge gives man 2 days to report to jail; he’s accused of stabbing wife’s family in that time

Judge now running for Wisconsin Supreme Court

Michael Liu had a history of domestic violence and one murderous threat, according to court records.  But that didn’t stop a Wisconsin judge from giving him two extra days before reporting to jail to serve his sentence.  Liu is now accused of using the time to attempt to murder his wife’s parents in Chicago’s south suburbs.

Police responded to a home in unincorporated Crete on December 1 and found the house had been shot-up and Michael Liu’s mother-in-law and father-in-law repeatedly stabbed.

Liu’s attempt at murder ended when his 68-year-old father-in-law wrestled away a knife and used it to stab Liu 17 times, according to the Will County sheriff’s office.  Liu survived and is now charged with attempted murder.   

A day earlier, Liu was in a Waukesha County, Wisconsin courtroom where he was convicted of domestic violence related charges and sentenced to 4 months in jail. 

Court records show the conviction was related to two July incidents in which Liu was accused of punching his wife and using a hammer to destroy their children’s iPad. Liu told responding officers he and his wife were getting a divorce. A criminal complaint said his wife told officers it was not the first violence encounter. 

The next day, police said Liu violated a no-contact order by repeatedly calling his wife. He also told a friend “I’m going to kill one of the kids and me,” according to a criminal complaint reviewed by WGN Investigates. The complaint states Liu later told an officer “it was a joke and he did not mean the statement.”

Judge Jennifer Dorow presided over Liu’s case and is the one who gave him two days following his conviction to report to jail. On the same day of Liu’s conviction, Dorow announced she would run for Wisconsin’s Supreme Court. 

Dorow received considerable attention while presiding over the trial of the man accused of driving his car into the Waukesha Christmas parade killing six people.  Her supreme court candidacy announcement came only a few weeks after the parade murder trial concluded and on the same day she granted Liu extra time to report to jail.

WGN Investigates contacted Judge Dorow’s office for comment.  An aide referred us to a campaign spokesperson who did not immediately respond.