Oct. 11, 2026 8:30p
(WGTD)---The minutes of a pre-trial hearing in a Kenosha murder case appear to call into question Kenosha County District Attorney Xavier Solis' ability to distance himself from cases in which he has a conflict of interest.
At a hearing last month, Judge David Hughes appeared ready to reject a call for a special prosecutor in a 13-count criminal case against Tremayne Martin. Martin is charged in connection with a gang-related 2022 shooting that left one person dead and several others wounded. Solis had defended Martin before being elected district attorney.
According to the minutes of the proceeding, Judge David Hughes initially found that bringing in a special prosecutor from outside of the county wasn't necessary, believing that another prosecutor within Solis' office could effectively handle the case as long as Solis didn't get involved.
Following a brief adjournment, the attorneys involved--Deputy District Attorney Rosa Delgado and defense attorney Nicole Muller-- returned to both say that "screening out" Solis hasn't been effective. "Solis has accessed case documents and discussed case with his office despite being purportedly screened out," the minutes read.
Hughes then changed his mind and said he plans to appoint a special prosecutor.
Conflict of interest questions were recently raised in two cases in which blogger Jacqueline Niccolai is involved. Niccolai frequently sparred online with Solis' political ally and friend Kevin Mathewson.
In one case in which Niccolai is the alleged victim, Hughes ordered that Solis have no direct contact with her as he prepares the case against her ex-husband. In the other, where Niccolai is the defendant in a case that involves Mathewson as the alleged victim, Hughes ordered that another attorney in Solis' office handle the matter without any involvement from Solis.
Solis did not respond to a request for comment.
A status conference is scheduled for Monday in the case against Niccolai's ex-husband.
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