Assistant district attorney killed in Michigan plane crash

Milwaukee County assistant district attorney Ron Dague was killed in a single-engine plane crash in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.

Dague’s Piper Lance plane left the Mackinac County Airport in St. Ignace, Mich., heading to Mackinac Island on Friday night but did not arrive at the island early Saturday, according to the U. S. Coast Guard. Residents reported hearing a low-flying plane and an impact in Lake Huron.

Authorities reported finding debris and wreckage in Lake Huron over the weekend.

Authorities said Dague was the only person on board. Dague worked for the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office since 1990 and specialized in drunken-driving cases.

Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm said in a statement Monday night that Dague had served with distinction in many capacities in the office and was a valued member of the general crimes unit.

“Ron was a gifted trial attorney, a devoted student of the law, and a passionate defender of equity, fairness, and justice. His advocacy helped build a safer community for everyone living in Milwaukee County,” Chisholm said.

“At a personal level, Ron was a devoted husband and father who deeply loved his family and his absence will be keenly felt. Please keep his wife and young daughter in your prayers. It was an honor to serve the public alongside Ron, and I wish his family peace at this most difficult and challenging time.”

On Dague’s Facebook page, two people left “rest in peace” messages over the weekend. No one was home at Dague’s East Troy residence Monday afternoon.

Local attorney Dan Adams recalled meeting Dague in 2008 when Adams was hired as a prosecutor. Dague was known as a very sharp and capable prosecutor and had held numerous important positions within the district at-

torney’s office. He had handled complex drug conspiracy cases, homicides and high-intensity drug task force cases.

“I think with his passing we’ve probably lost the most knowledgeable OWI prosecutor in the state,” Adams said Monday. “He had an encyclopedic knowledge of the laws. Not just how they came into being, but also the common defenses and how to counteract those defenses.”

Adams said Dague was always willing to share his knowledge with young prosecutors and talk them through their cases, pointing out what defense attorneys would likely do and how to counteract that in cases. “He was just one of the best. It’s a huge loss for the community,” said Adams.

Dague’s LinkedIn profile features a photo of him standing next to a private plane. He earned his law degree from Marquette University in 1990 after earning a bachelor’s degree in economics and psychology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

On his LinkedIn page, Dague said he did extensive work with chemists and analysts and taught law enforcement officers and attorneys the best practices and underlying science of blood and breath testing for drunken-driving cases. He said he was willing to speak to groups “that share my concern and dedication to making our streets and highways safer for all of us by reducing the number of persons driving while impaired.” Dague was rated to fly single-engine planes and his medical certificate was up to date.