Ariel Cheung

Post-Crescent Media

David Dudas was sentenced to 30 years in prison Wednesday for raping and abusing his wife.

Dudas%27 wife and two oldest sons read statements during the hearing.

Judge criticized Dudas%27 behavior during the court proceeding and his lack of remorse.

APPLETON – The silence from David G. Dudas on Wednesday was noticeable. The power of his wife's words, meanwhile, was deafening.

"God's hand in all of this is that borne of such devastation is the promise of a new beginning," she said during her husband's sentencing hearing. "A tomorrow where monsters are quiet, my children blossom on their own journey, the reflection of the mirror is of hope, the frightened woman begins to roar, and no means no."

Dudas, 49, of Dale, was sentenced Wednesday to 30 years in prison, followed by 10 years of parole, for 30 convictions related to the rape and abuse of his wife. Dudas showed little reaction to the sentence, although a cry was heard from his wife, who sobbed during most of the nearly three-hour hearing.

"Mr. Dudas, the description of the way that you interacted with your children on July 21 (2013) and the fear that you placed them in, and your continued denial of your involvement in these offenses has made it very difficult for your family to move forward," Judge Tammy Jo Hock said just before imposing the sentence.

"Despite that, it seems that they have made some significant progress in being able to rebuild their lives."

RELATED:Read victim impact statements from Dudas' family

Dudas was found guilty of first-degree sexual assault, second-degree reckless injury, substantial battery, 14 counts of second-degree sexual assault and 11 counts of strangulation and suffocation. He was also convicted of misdemeanor counts of battery and intimidating a person acting on behalf of a victim. He was acquitted of a single count of strangulation.

In September, Dudas' wife filed for divorce. Dudas, who worked as an attorney in Appleton, had his law license temporarily suspended, and the Office of Lawyer Regulation filed a disciplinary case against him last week.

Judge critical of defendant's attitude

The emotionally charged jury trial stretched over eight days in April and featured graphic evidence, including 17 videos Dudas recorded of sexual encounters with his wife from March 2012 to July 2013. It was one year ago Monday that Dudas choked, smothered and sexually assaulted his wife, leading to his arrest.

While he declined to comment at the hearing, Dudas previously said extreme sex with his wife was consensual and that the couple had a happy marriage. Hock said the defendant's failure to accept responsibility for the assaults and his attitude during the trial played a part in her decision.

"(His demeanor) was nearly stoic in many ways, and his lack of response almost gave the impression of arrogance," Hock said. "I thought it was also noteworthy that he positioned himself in a way during the trial to watch the videos completely unobstructed. He put on his glasses and unflinchingly watched the videos in totality."

Hock commented on the impact the July 21 incident had on the five Dudas children, including the three who witnessed their mother escaping the bedroom and then worked together to call 911 and take her to the hospital.

"It was, quite simply, horrific, and had a traumatizing effect from seeing their mother bloodied and crying," Hock said. "For the two oldest boys, it seems to have turned into something near hate as they reflect on their feelings about their father."

Hock's decision was in line with recommendations from prosecutors, who requested 30 to 35 years in prison and 15 to 20 years of parole. Dudas' attorney, Stephen Hurley, requested 6½ years of imprisonment.

"It's really easy when someone's done something wrong and harmed another to begin to view the one who's convicted as a one- or two-dimensional person," Hurley said. "To allow that act to define the entire individual. It's a simple thing to do, it's a human thing to do, and it's inaccurate. The truth is, he's multidimensional, as all human beings are."

Hurley asked the judge to remember that Dudas' family had given him mementos like cards and videos describing him as a good father and husband. He also said the sentence should not be used as retribution for the victims, but only as punishment for the crimes.

District Attorney Carrie Schneider, who prosecuted the case, criticized Dudas for not admitting any wrongdoing.

"I don't know if there have been many other cases where there has been the emotional, financial, psychological and physical impact that this family has and continues to have," she said. "The impact on the family will not go away. They have an immense amount of fear of this defendant."

Hock said she reviewed letters of support from Dudas' parents and siblings, but took issue with some who suggested Dudas' wife lied about the assaults as a way to escape her marriage and get custody of her children.

"That is absolutely unfathomable that somebody would expose themselves to this type of humiliation and embarrassment — to release the videos, to testify about deeply personal and intimate matters — all to turn a divorce in their favor," the judge said. "And it's really important to contemplate that Ms. Dudas could not possibly have made up or somehow fabricated the injuries she sustained in July 2013."

Family speaks about abuse

At the start of the hearing, Dudas' wife and two oldest sons spoke about the impact the crimes had on their family. They said that while they were struggling financially, they were "better off and happier" with Dudas behind bars.

"What he did was one example of many ways he strayed from the path of a moral man," his 19-year-old son said. "A moral man doesn't let his 2-year-old daughter slip out of his arms only so he can pin his son up against the wall so hard he puts a hole in the drywall.

"And yet, if you stop by the condo in Florida where we had what were supposed to be vacations, I can show you the hole."

The oldest son spoke briefly, but said his father always stressed the importance of taking responsibility for his actions.

"My father has failed in all regards in practicing what he preaches," he said. "In fact, he has never once apologized for anything. There has been nothing but finger-pointing, excuses and denial from him throughout this entire process."

Their mother spoke for 10 minutes, describing how she struggled with her injuries, her feelings of betrayal and her attempts to piece her life back together.

"I loved this man with my entire soul and trusted him ... and in the end, he was willing to take my life for his own domination and sick sexual gratification," she said. "I will strive each day of my life to not allow this to ever define me, but it will forever walk with me."

As conditions of Dudas' sentence, he is not allowed to have contact with his wife or contact with his children that is not approved by his parole agent. He was ordered to pay $15,490 in court costs, and prosecutors have 30 days to file a request for restitution.

Dudas received credit for the three months he was jailed following the April 30 verdict. He will be 79 when he is released, and he will remain on parole until 2054.

— Ariel Cheung: 920-993-1000, ext. 430, or acheung@postcrescent.com; on Twitter @arielfab

See Post-Crescent Media reporter Ariel Cheung's exclusive coverage of the jury trial below:

DAY 1:Sexual assault trial begins for Appleton attorney David Dudas

DAY 2:Wife sobs during second day of David Dudas' jury trial

DAY 3:Defense presses wife on details during third day (paid archive)

DAY 4:Mistrial motions denied in David Dudas trial

DAY 5:Jurors distressed by graphic content in videos

DAY 6:Defense rests in David Dudas sexual assault trial

DAY 7:Jury ends first day without verdict (paid archive)

DAY 8:Guilty verdicts against Dudas bring relief to victims