Court Approves Deal Dismissing Pearson Charges

Madison School Board member Maia Pearson may have charges dropped if she completes a program and avoids new criminal charges.

Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Secondary Education

Bold flat-color editorial illustration of a plain stone civic building with a central portico, rendered in deep red and cream, evoking the institutional weight of the court process. — Madison School Board member Maia Pearson may have charges dropped under a Dane County deferred prosecution agreement approved by Judge Ellen Berz. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Dane County Circuit Judge Ellen Berz approved a deferred prosecution agreement for Madison School Board member Maia Pearson, who was charged in February with misdemeanor resisting police and disorderly conduct. The Dane County District Attorney's office would move to dismiss the charges in about six months if she completes programming.

Why it matters

The agreement lets Pearson avoid a conviction without pleading guilty, provided she meets program terms and faces no new charges. The case stems from a December 19 parking dispute in Downtown Madison that required officers to remove her and another woman from a vehicle.

Pearson was charged in February with misdemeanor resisting police and disorderly conduct, and remains subject to bond conditions. Her co-defendant, Brandi Grayson, pleaded guilty to three misdemeanors in April and was assigned to the same deferred prosecution program.

The players

Maia Pearson

A Madison School Board member since 2021 who was re-elected to a three-year term in 2024, and who remains a member of the Madison Police Civilian Oversight Board.

Ellen Berz

A Dane County circuit judge who approved the deferred prosecution agreement in Pearson's case.

Dane County District Attorney's Office

The county prosecutor's office that agreed to move to dismiss the charges if Pearson completes the programming.

The details

Pearson was not required to plead guilty under the agreement, which Circuit Judge Ellen Berz approved on the understanding that a trial would follow if she violates program terms. The charges stem from a dispute after Grayson refused to move her vehicle from a no-parking area near the Majestic Theatre and argued with theater employees; officers removed Pearson and Grayson from the vehicle by force after they refused orders to exit.

December 19: Parking-related dispute and arrests occur in Downtown Madison.
February: Pearson is charged with misdemeanor resisting police and disorderly conduct.
April: Grayson pleads guilty to three misdemeanors.
November 5, 2026: Court approves Pearson's deferred prosecution agreement.
About six months after approval: The DA would move to dismiss charges if programming is completed.

Political Context

Deferred prosecution agreements let defendants avoid conviction by meeting program conditions, a tool that critics sometimes argue can soften consequences for officials. Pearson's case involves an elected school board member who also serves on a police oversight body, raising questions about accountability standards.

Residents who rely on the Madison School Board may watch whether a sitting member keeps her seat and fulfills program terms. The case also shows how misdemeanor resolutions can be reached without a guilty plea, which affects how local charges are understood.

The takeaway

Deferred prosecution lets a case end without conviction only if the defendant complies fully, so the outcome in six months will show whether the program terms are met. Readers following local government can track the court record for the final disposition.

What happens next

The Dane County District Attorney's office is expected to move to dismiss the charges in about six months if Pearson completes programming without new charges.