Women Who Attacked Senator Carpenter Charged In Court

The two women who allegedly attacked State Senator Tim Carpenter have both been charged with substantial battery, party to a crime for their alleged involvement in the attack during protests in Madison on June 24th. According to a criminal complaint, several anonymous witnesses shared information with police that helped with identifying the two women pictured in a recording of the attack. Police also used footage from city surveillance cameras to further identify the suspects. 26-year-old Samantha Hamer, a former Platteville resident,  and 33-year-old Kerida O’Reilly turned themselves in Monday.  In separate hearings, both women were charged Wednesday in Dane County Circuit Court.  O’Reilly’s attorney moved to dismiss the complaint for lack of probable cause that connected the two women to the actual physical attack. Hamer’s attorney also moved to dismiss. However, District Attorney Ismael Ozanne pointed to the video taken by Carpenter saying that it clearly showed the two women making contact with the Senator. The judge agreed with Ozanne and denied the motion. The judge ordered a signature bond for both women and banned them from the state Capitol square area. Carpenter, a Senator from the Milwaukee area, said he was punched and kicked in the head, neck and ribs. Hamer is a social worker with the Mt. Horeb School District, and is currently on leave.