Criminal charges in the case of Frank Jude Jr., allegedly beaten by a dozen off-duty Milwaukee police officers, are expected in about two weeks, prosecutors and a city official said Wednesday. Jude, a black man, was beaten at a party hosted by a police officer in Bay View in October after he was accused of stealing the officer's wallet containing his badge. Also Wednesday, a notice of injury was filed on Jude's behalf, the first step toward a possible lawsuit against the city, and a state lawmaker asked the attorney general to take over the case. In a letter to Attorney General Peg Lautenschlager, state Rep. Leon Young, a Milwaukee Democrat, wrote, "Frankly, I have lost confidence in the Milwaukee District Attorney's office and Milwaukee Police Department to investigate this incident with an objective eye." Jude's attorney, Jonathan Safran, said a notice of injury had to be filed with the city now to meet a 120-day deadline and protect Jude's right to sue later. The claim, also filed on behalf of Jude's wife, Maria, didn't include a dollar amount, and its filing doesn't guarantee a lawsuit will follow, Safran said.During the incident, the notice claims, police officers "were acting within the scope of their employment and under color of law, involving the use of negligent and intentional inappropriate, unwarranted, excessive, improper, and unconstitutional physical force to detain, physically restrain and physically beat Frank L. Jude Jr." The notice alleges that the officers' actions were the result of the Police Department "failing to adequately train, supervise and control its police officers," allowing an atmosphere that "promotes cavalier attitudes in conduct," and encouraging "misplaced loyalties" among officers who refuse to cooperate in investigations into misdeeds by colleagues. The notice said Jude's medical bills exceeded $3,000 and listed numerous injuries, including a concussion, loss of consciousness and extensive facial injuries. Witnesses said Jude's hands were behind his back the whole time. Jude was kicked repeatedly in the head and had his pants taken off, witnesses said. Jude was arrested, handcuffed and taken to hospital in a police van. Four officers have been suspended with pay, but none has been charged so far. [more] and [more]

• Black Leaders Call for Boycott Over Beating Case [more]
  
• Let's say it as it was: Mob beating [more]
• Black Men with White Women: The incident had racial overtones. Both Jude and Harris are black; all the other partygoers reportedly were white. And something is said to have provoked Jude before the beating to question whether the gathering was racist. Those overtones are no doubt the reason many black residents here take the incident so personally. The two black men attended the party with white women once a hard-and-fast taboo, whose violation used to lead to beatings, mutilations and worse. The lingering effects of that taboo might explain why Jude was stripped of his pants in the course of the beating.