Public defender arrested after warrant served

Search finds pot, drug paraphernalia, authorities say

A veteran assistant public defender who supervises other lawyers in the State Public Defender’s Milwaukee office and teaches at the Marquette University Law School was arrested Feb. 5 in Racine County when police served a drug search warrant at his home.

Alejandro “Alex” Lockwood, 51, is taking vacation time to address his situation, said Randy Kraft, spokesman for the State Public Defender, which provides attorneys for indigent criminal defendants. Kraft said Lockwood’s cases and other responsibilities have been reassigned pending the outcome of the arrest.

Lockwood, of Caledonia, was arrested by Caledonia police, who referred possible charges to the Racine County district attorney’s office.

Lockwood’s attorney, Patrick Cafferty of Racine, said Friday that prosecutors have declined to file a felony charge of keeping a drug house, and Lockwood would plead not guilty to an expected misdemeanor charge of possession of marijuana.

As of Friday, no formal charges had been filed against Lockwood, but a criminal complaint naming his 23-year-old daughter describes the incident.

Alexandria Lockwood is charged with possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia both as party to a crime in Racine on Jan. 12. Both counts are misdemeanors. According to the complaint:

Caledonia police arrived to serve a search warrant at the Lockwood home on Feb. 5, and took Lockwood to the floor and handcuffed him after he refused orders to get on the floor. His wife and two younger children were in the house. Alexandria’s boyfriend, Scott Straka, and another person were in the basement.

Police found a muscle relaxant, without a prescription, marijuana and paraphernalia in the bedroom of Lockwood’s wife. She told police she uses it to treat arthritis, and gets the marijuana from Straka.

Lockwood told police he does not share a bedroom with his wife, works 12- to 13-hour days and had no idea there was drug use in his home. Police then searched Lockwood’s bedroom and found an unloaded handgun in a locked box and a rifle under the bed.

In his car, they found two smoked marijuana “blunts,” a blue pill cut into four pieces in a contact lens case and in the trunk a bag with a small amount of marijuana and some drug paraphernalia. Cafferty also said other people have access to Lockwood’s car.

Police found extensive drug paraphernalia in the basement. Straka said he only occasionally stays at the residence and denied owning the contraband, or using or selling drugs.

Straka is also charged with possession of marijuana and paraphernalia.

Alexandria Lockwood is free on a $400 signature bond and is ordered to have no contact with Lockwood, his wife or Straka.