​Join us for the Wednesday, March 10, WJI Virtual Salon featuring Katie Kegel and Susan Roth, candidates for the Milwaukee County Circuit Court Branch 3 bench. The two are competing to succeed incumbent Claire Fiorenza, who did not seek re-election. The two candidates  will explain their positions and qualifications.

Roth has been an attorney/partner in the Kohn Smith Roth law firm since 2013. Prior to that, she was an associate attorney with Kohn & Smith. She is a 2007 graduate of Marquette University Law School.

Kegel has been an assistant state public defender since 2011 and an adjunct professor at Marquette University Law School since 2014. She is a 2011 graduate of that same law school.

The Virtual Salon is from noon to 1 p.m. and it's free! Register here.

​Thanks to Fred Kessler for sponsoring the event!
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​The mission of the Wisconsin Justice Initiative is to advocate for progressive change in the Wisconsin justice system by educating the public about its real-life impacts and partnering with other organizations to achieve more just outcomes.

Our priorities:
  • Ensuring that municipal court defendants are treated fairly and that judges adhere to the law in          considering poverty at sentencing
  • Educating the public about Marsy's Law and opposing its inclusion in the State Constitution
  • Legalizing medical and recreational cannabis
  • Eliminating life-without-parole sentences for juveniles
  • Eliminating the felony bail jumping charge
Recent successes:
  • Successfully lobbied the City of Milwaukee to continue funding for lawyer for indigent defendants in Municipal Court
  • Published a "Know Your Rights" card, municipal court version, in partnership with other organizations and with funding from the Wisconsin Law Foundation
  • Successfully urged Milwaukee County communities to reduce the number of people incarcerated at the House of Correction due to their failure to pay municipal court forfeitures
  •  Successfully worked to significantly reduce the number of municipal court     defendants incarcerated at the House of Correction
  • Played a key role in organizing 18 cannabis legalization advisory referendums in Wisconsin
  • Translated the "Know Your Rights" municipal court pocket-guide into Spanish

Continuing work:
  • Holding monthly luncheons, open to the public, where guest speakers address legal issues of general interest and concern
  • Producing a Spanish-language video about how to negotiate municipal court
  • Providing the public with news and information about the justice system  through the WJI blog, newsletter, social media, and public speaking
  • Working for cannabis legalization
  • Advocating for the repeal of life-without-parole sentences for juvenile offenders
  • Opposing overly punitive sentences for crimes
  • Calling attention to the abuse of felony bail jumping charges to force guilty  pleas from defendants
  • Providing continuing legal education credit opportunities for attorneys
Many thanks to these institutional supporters for their support:
Theodora Swientek Fund
Harold Grosskopf Fund 
​ The Lawlis Family Fund
​The Barbara Brumder Buzard Fund

Herb Kohl Philanthropies
Patrick and Anna M. Cudahy Fund
Ralph Evinrude Foundation
​We Energies Foundation
​Wm. Collins Kohler Foundation
Contact us:

​Wisconsin Justice Initiative Inc.
P.O. Box 100705
Milwaukee, WI 53210

414-331-0724

Gretchen@wjiinc.org
Margo@wjiinc.org

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