James C. Radford, who has been charged with first-degree homicide in connection with the shooting death of his wife nearly 10 years ago, is still without an attorney, and Shawano-Menominee County Circuit Court Judge William Kussel Jr. is getting fed up with the delays.
Radford, 39, has reported during multiple court hearings, including one held Jan. 20, that he needs more time to hire an attorney. At the latest hearing, he said an attorney has been selected, but it’s a matter of waiting for his family to get enough money to pay the attorney. Radford did not disclose the name of the attorney.
Originally, online court records indicated Radford did not qualify for public defender services. Kussel, however, said he did, as the defendant — who has been incarcerated since May 2025 at the Shawano County Jail — is not employed and does not have any property to put up as collateral to hire an attorney himself.
“They tell me that it’s not a couple hundred bucks for no attorney,” Radford said while on a Zoom connection from the jail. “They have to get the money together, so I will get be getting an attorney paid, but I have to wait until my family can get it together. That’s all I can say.”
Kussel suggested court proceedings would probably move faster if Radford had a public defender, but Radford was insistent on having his own counsel. Kussel said it was possible for the public defender to be discharged if Radford is able to eventually hire a private attorney.
Finding public defenders available to take on additional cases has been an issue since the pandemic, when the shutdowns have backed up thousands of cases. It has been especially difficult in homicide cases because of the penalties involved.
Kussel asked Radford how long of a window would be needed to get an attorney in place, questioning if it was going to be weeks, months or years. Radford did not have an answer.
Kussel said time was running out on getting an answer, and if an attorney was not in place by Radford’s next hearing March 9, he would order the public defender’s office to begin the process of appointing counsel for Radford.
“At some point, sir, we need to have some finality to this,” Kussel said. “I can’t keep continuing this matter.”
According to the criminal complaint, deputies responded April 11, 2016, to a residence on County Road J in the Town of Fairbanks for a report of a woman who had sustained a gunshot wound. The caller, identified as her husband, reported that his wife, Sabrina Radford, had shot herself.
At the time of the initial response, investigators were unable to conclusively determine the cause of death. However, due to the suspicious circumstances surrounding the incident, a formal investigation was initiated.
Over the course of nine years, investigators dedicated significant time and effort to this case, according to a sheriff’s department press release. Numerous interviews were conducted with James Radford and other individuals connected to the case, and previously collected evidence was reexamined. With the aid of advanced investigative tools, evolving forensic technology and the involvement of expert witnesses, investigators determined the death of Sabrina Radford was not the result of suicide.
James Radford was taken into custody earlier in 2025 in Waukesha County. He was subsequently transported to Shawano County, where he was booked into the jail and has since been held on a cash bond of $800,000.
lpulaski@newmedia-wi.com
