If Newell finds probable cause for criminal charges, the case will move forward, but if he does not, the case will be referred back to the judge, who will determine if any further action is warranted.

“So it’s no different than if law enforcement had come in and said, ‘Charge this against so-and-so for battery,’ and there was stuff in there to lead me to believe I could go forward with a battery prosecution,” Newell said.

From the time he received the case, Newell has 90 days to reach a decision. He said he expects to announce a conclusion within about two weeks.

“It’s fair to venture that those incidents were thoroughly investigated by the Division of Criminal Investigation,” said James Palmer, executive director of the Wisconsin Professional Police Association. Palmer only could speak generally, and said he was not familiar with the particulars of case, which has not yet drawn the attention of the police union. “It will be interesting to see if there is probable cause for that John Doe petition.”

Although the union has represented officers following critical incidents, Palmer said he could not remember an example of a case in which separate officers are the subject of accusations in loosely related incidents in a single case.