MILWAUKEE, Wis. (WTAQ) - Former Milwaukee police union president Brad DeBraska has been sentenced to 6 months in jail for forgery and identity theft. A jury convicted him last August of writing a fake memo, and signing it with the name of former Common Council president John Kalwitz. The memo was later used in a police union lawsuit against the city over payments for a new computer system that determines officers’ pensions. The suit was dropped once the fake document came to light.

Circuit Judge Richard Sankovitz called DeBraska’s forgery an arrogant and audacious lie. And the judge said DeBraska committed a “sacrilege” by lying in a courthouse, which he called “a temple dedicated to the truth.” The judge also refused to buy an argument from DeBraska’s lawyers that he had suffered enough – and that the loss of his reputation should be enough to keep him out of jail. Attorney Gerald Boyle said DeBraska suffered a heart attack last fall – and he still has a serious heart condition. He’ll spend his jail time at a Milwaukee County correctional facility. And he’ll be allowed to leave for health care and volunteer work.