Just a couple counties have primary elections this month for circuit court seats. In Grant County, three candidates vie for the seat now held by Judge Robert VanDeHey, who chose not to run for reelection. The primary election is coming up on Tuesday, February 21. There's a statewide primary for an open seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court, too. Wisconsin Justice Initiative asked each of the Grant County Circuit Court candidates to answer a series of questions. Two candidates responded, and their answers are presented here as submitted. The questions are patterned after some of those on the job application Gov. Evers uses when he is considering judicial appointments. Lisa A. Riniker is the Grant County district attorney. She received her law degree from the University of Wisconsin Law School. Jeffrey W. Erickson is a criminal defense attorney in the office of the State Public Defender. He, too, received his law degree from the University of Wisconsin Law School. His resume is here. Candidate Jennifer Day did not respond to the questionnaire.
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As its March Salon, Wisconsin Justice Initiative held a virtual candidate forum regarding the race for a seat on the Court of Appeals District II. Incumbent Judge Lori Kornblum discussed her background and answered questions from attendees. Here's the video from the event. Wisconsin's courts of appeals have only 16 judges total, divided into four districts. District II is headquartered in Waukesha. Citizens in the following 12 counties choose its judges: Calumet, Fond du Lac, Green Lake, Kenosha, Manitowoc, Ozaukee, Racine, Sheboygan, Walworth, Washington, Waukesha and Winnebago. Voters statewide should care about this race, however, as the court's decisions have statewide impact. WJI is a nonpartisan nonprofit that takes no position regarding candidates in this or any election. WJI held the Salon and publishes this video for voter education purposes. Kornblum's opponent, Waukesha Circuit Court Judge Maria Lazar, was invited to participate in this event but did not attend. Election day is Tuesday, April 5. Krista G. LaFave and J.C. Moore are running for the Wauwatosa Municipal Court seat being vacated by Richard J. Baker, who is not seeking re-election. Election Day is April 5. LaFave, an attorney at Warshafsky, Rotter, Tarnoff & Bloch, received her law degree from Tulane University Law School. Her resume is here. Moore, a Milwaukee County judicial court commissioner, received his law degree from Marquette University Law School. His resume is here. WJI asked each of the candidates to answer a series of questions. The answers are presented here as submitted. The questions asked are patterned after some of those on the job application Gov. Evers uses when he is considering judicial appointments.
By Gretchen Schuldt There was just one primary election in state judicial contests Tuesday, with a winnowing of the field from three candidates to two in the race for the Kewaunee County Circuit Court bench. Jeffrey Ronald Wisnicky and Kimberly A Hardtke advanced to the April 5 general election, while John Peterson got knocked out of the running. There will be, as has become tradition for lower courts, few contested seats in the general election – just 10, including the one in Kewaunee County. There are 39 uncontested judicial races for circuit and appellate courts, according to the Wisconsin Elections Commission. The nine other competitive races and candidates are listed below. (In Fond du Lac County, the Branch 5 circuit court seat is listed as having two candidates, incumbent Paul G. Czisny and Douglas R. Edelstein, but Czisny has filed a notification of noncandidacy, according to the WEC. WJI is considering that race non-competitive.) District 2 Court of Appeals – Maria S. Lazar and Lori Kornblum (inc.) Iowa County Circuit Court – Matt Allen and Rhonda R. Hazen. Incumbent Margaret M. Koehler is not seeking re-election. Marathon County Circuit Court Branch 2 – Rick Cveykus and William A. Harris. Incumbent Gregory Huber is not seeking re-election. Oconto County Circuit Court Branch 2 – Ed Burke and Jay Conley (inc.) Portage County Circuit Court Branch 2 – Louis John Molepske Jr. and Stephen W. Sawyer. Incumbent Robert J. Shannon is not seeking re-election. Sauk County Circuit Court Branch 1 – Michael Screnock (inc.) and Blake J. Duren. Vilas County Circuit Court Branch 2 – Meg Colleen O'Marro and Daniel Overbey. The seat is vacant. Winnebago Circuit Court Branch 3 – Lisa Krueger and Brian D. Keberlein. Incumbent Barbara Hart Key did not seek re-election. Winnebago Circuit Court Branch 4 – Mike Gibbs and LaKeisha D. Haase (inc.) *** Besides Edelstein in Fond du Lac County, there are 38 judicial candidates waltzing into office without an opponent (barring write-ins). They are listed below. District 3 Court of Appeals – Thomas M. Hruz (inc.) District 4 Court of Appeals – Brian Blanchard (inc.) Adams County Circuit Court Branch 2 – Tania M. Bonnett. The seat is vacant. Barron County Circuit Court Branch 1 – James C. Babler (inc.) Crawford County Circuit Court – Lynn Marie Rider (inc.) Dane County Circuit Court Branch 3 – Diane Schlipper. Incumbent Valerie L. Bailey-Rihn is not seeking re-election. Dane County Circuit Court Branch 4 – Everett D. Mitchell (inc.) Dane County Circuit Court Branch 5 – Nicholas J. McNamara (inc.) Dane County Circuit Court Branch 14 – John D. Hyland (inc.) Dane County Circuit Court Branch 15 – Stephen Ehlke (inc.) Eau Claire County Circuit Court Branch 1 – John Francis Manydeeds (inc.) Eau Claire County Circuit Court Branch 6 – Beverly Wickstrom. The seat is vacant. Fond du Lac County Circuit Court Branch 2 – Laura Lavey. Incumbent Peter L. Grimm is not seeking re-election. Fond du Lac County Circuit Court Branch 4 – Tricia L. Walker (inc.) Lincoln County Circuit Court Branch 1 – Galen Bayne-Allison. Incumbent Jay R. Tlusty is not seeking re-election. Milwaukee County Circuit Court Branch 5 – Kristela L. Cervera (inc.) Milwaukee County Circuit Court Branch 14 – Christopher R. Foley (inc.) Milwaukee County Circuit Court Branch 25 – Nidhi Kashyap. Incumbent Stephanie Rothstein is not seeking re-election. Milwaukee County Circuit Court Branch 31 – Hannah C. Dugan (inc.) Milwaukee County Circuit Court Branch 34 – Glenn H. Yamahiro (inc.) Milwaukee County Circuit Court Branch 44 – Gwendolyn G. Connolly (inc.) Milwaukee County Circuit Court Branch 45 – Jean Marie Kies (inc.) Monroe County Circuit Court Branch 2 – Mark L. Goodman (inc.) Outagamie County Circuit Court Branch 4 – Yadira J. Rein (inc.) Outagamie County Circuit Court Branch 7 – Mark G. Schroeder (inc.) Pierce County Circuit Court – Elizabeth Rohl (inc.) Portage County Circuit Court Branch 3 – Trish Baker (inc.) Racine County Circuit Court Branch 2 – Eugene A. Gasiorkiewicz (inc.) Racine County Circuit Court Branch 4 – Mark F. Nielsen (inc.) Racine County Circuit Court Branch 5 – Kristin M. Cafferty (inc.) Rusk County Circuit Court – Annette Barna. Incumbent Steven P. Anderson is not seeking re-election. St. Croix County Circuit Court Branch 4 – R. Michael Waterman (inc.) Sauk County Circuit Court Branch 2 – Wendy J.N. Klicko (inc.) Vilas County Circuit Court Branch 1 – Martha J. Milanowski (inc.) Walworth County Circuit Court Branch 2 – Daniel Johnson (inc.) Walworth County Circuit Court Branch 4 – David M. Reddy (inc.) Waushura County Circuit Court Branch 2 – Scott C. Blader. The seat is vacant. Winnebago County Circuit Court Branch 5 – John A. Jorgensen (inc.) "Evers' judges" is our effort to present information about Gov. Tony Evers' appointees to the bench. The information is taken from the appointees' own judgeship applications. WJI also will continue to profile former Gov. Scott Walker's appointees who are still in office. Italics indicates direct quotes from the application. WJI note: Much of White's description of Roper v. Simmons below is almost identical to a description published on the Campaign for the Fair Sentencing of Youth website. White acknowledged in an interview Sunday that she erred in not citing the campaign as a source. Her failure to do so "should not have happened," she said. White said she was rushing to finish and submit her application very shortly before the deadline on Nov. 13, 2019. In her hurry, she said, she failed to credit the campaign. "I should have," she said. "I did a lot of cutting and pasting," White said. She often uses other sources when they are reflect her beliefs, she said. "My reputation is citing," she said. "As a Court of Appeals judge, I can't say a word without a source." Name: Maxine Aldridge White Appointed to: Court of Appeals, District I Appointment date: January 2020 (Elected in April 2021.) Education: Law School – Marquette University Law School Master's Degree – University of Southern California (Public Administration) Undergraduate – Alcorn State University, Lorman, MS High School – Gentry High School, Indianola, MS Recent legal employment: August 2015-present – Chief judge, First Judicial District August 1992-present – Milwaukee County circuit judge Bar and Administrative Memberships: Wisconsin State Bar Eastern District Western District Seventh Circuit United States Supreme Court General character of practice before becoming a judge: May 1985-August 1992: assistant United States attorney - Eastern District of Wisconsin; appointed immediately upon graduation from Marquette Law School, becoming the first African American woman to serve in that position and only the second one appointed upon graduation from law school. Represented all federal agencies before the federal courts (except IRS in non-bankruptcy civil matters); practice areas included bankruptcy, affirmative civil litigation, and defense of the federal agencies and interests before federal magistrate, bankruptcy, federal district courts and the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals August 1991 to August 1992: Legal advisor and instructor - Federal Law Enforcement Training Center Describe typical clients: Experienced trial lawyer practicing before the federal courts as well as leading investigations conducted by federal agents – (DEA, IRS, FBI, Secret Service, federal agency Inspector Generals and Postal Inspectors); responsible for motion practice, trials – court and jury – and appellate arguments in a variety of civil, criminal and bankruptcy cases.... Lead Attorney for the Bankruptcy Unit and attorneys and Project Leader for "Project Triggerlock" a multi-jurisdictional taskforce of federal, state and law enforcement officers and agents. Number of cases tried to verdict: More than 300 List up to three significant trials, appeals, or other legal matters in which you participated as a judge or lawyer in the past seven years: David Rasmussen et al, v. General Motors Corp. et al Matter in court for motion hearing (attorneys' fees, expenses, and incentive awards) Rexnord Industires, (sic) LLC, v. Jamaica Bearings Co, Inc. Matter in court on motion hearing (jurisdiction and motion to stay) (White did not describe the cases further, but attached decisions in two cases to the application as writing samples. She also wrote a handwritten note on the application: See writing samples as examples of 2 significant legal matters with unique issues resolved during the time I presided and decided these 2 cases – each presenting untested areas in the case law in our district). Chief Judge significant projects: MacArthur Foundation Grant Improvement of Services for juvenile offenders and juvenile justice reform Arnold Foundation Pretrial Risk Assessment and Bail reform in Milwaukee County Chief Judges' Subcommittee on Jail for Non Payment of fines, fees and forfeitures Presiding Judge significant projects: Milwaukee Safe Haven for families experiencing domestic violence Experience in adversary proceedings before administrative bodies: Reviewing Court for administrative agency decision Previous runs for political office: Elected to Milwaukee County Circuit Court, Branch 1 Position or involvement in judicial, non-partisan, or partisan political campaign, committee, or organization: Only as a candidate All judicial or non-partisan candidates endorsed in the last ten years: Judge JoAnne Kloppenburg, Wisconsin Supreme Court, 2016 Judge Lisa Neubauer, Wisconsin Court of Appeals Distinct II, 2019 Judge M. Joseph Donald, Wisconsin Supreme Court, 2015 Chief Justice Shirley Abrahamson, Wisconsin Supreme Court, 2008-2009 Professional or civic and charitable organizations: Milwaukee Bar, board member, 2007 to 2015 National Association of Women Judges, district director, 2004 Links Incorporated, Milwaukee chapter president, 1993-present Wisconsin State Bar, conference presenter Marquette University, board and diversity committee Heritage Chorale of Milwaukee, board member Significant pro bono legal work or volunteer service: Wisconsin Association of African American Lawyers, president, Board member and mentor House of Peace, Inc., president, Advisory Board for 15 years Milwaukee Chapter of Links Inc., chapter president Assisted in designing and leading member coalition to Jamaica to deliver National Association of Women Judges, district director - Designed and led historic effort installing portrait of women judges in Wisconsin courthouses - The Color of Justice Involvement in business interests: Not applicable Quotes Why I want to be a judge – Growing up in the Deep South, I lived through times when injustice such as racial segregation was actually empowered by the law. Over time, I witnessed first-hand that the law could be guided by courageous people who challenged the law to become better. It became clear that the law, enabled by lawyers and judges entrusted with its care, has the ability to transform itself, and thereby have a transformative effect on the people that come before the court, and society at large. The law, in spite of a history of empowering so much injustice, could become the means by which lives could change. The law could become the means by which people, rich and poor, regardless of status, in controversies large and small, could at least have their voices heard, and find at least some small measure of justice. To be an arbiter of some portion of this process has been and continues to be, an honor I humbly accepted. More than that, it is a continuing obligation to which I have devoted much of my life. Through the law, we who serve the people as judges have the ability and the solemn obligation to help, to give voice, to smooth the rough road, and to resolve differences in a just manner. Candace Ray Jackson-Akiwumi is President Biden's nominee to the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals. The court's area of authority includes Wisconsin, Indiana, and Illinois. This profile is based on the completed Questionnaire for Judicial Nominees Jackson-Akiwumi submitted to the Senate Judiciary Committee. She is expected to appear Wednesday, April 28, before the committee for a hearing. Name: Candace Ray Jackson-Akiwumi Nominated to: Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals Nomination date: March 30, 2021 Education: Law School – Yale Law School Undergrad – Princeton University High School - None listed Recent Employment: 2020-present Zuckerman Spaeder LLP, Washington, D.C. 2010-2020 Federal Defender Program for the Northern District of Illinois, Inc. Bar Associations: American Bar Association Black Women Lawyers' Association of Greater Chicago Federal Bar Association National Association of Federal Defenders Women's White Collar Defense Association Memberships Chicago Coalition for Law-Related Education Volunteer Mock Trial Coach (2009, 2010, 2015) Diaspora! Rhythms (art collectors' organization) (2013 - 2020) Edward J. Lewis II Lawyers in the Classroom Volunteer (2005 -2006) Election Protection Chicago Legal Committee (2008) Ladies of Virtue (girls' mentoring organization) Annual Fundraiser Host Committee (2017, 2018) Princeton Club of Chicago (Various positions, 2006-2020) Princeton Club of Washington (2020-present) Princeton University Alumni Council (Various positions, 2015-2020) Princeton University Class of 2000 Millennial Lecture Series Committee (2010) West Point Missionary Baptist Church (Legal ministry, 2013-2019; writer, "The Point" (2013-2014) Yale Law School Association of Illinois Steering Committee (2008-2020) Yale Law School Class of 2005 (Reunion social chair, 2020; reunion co-chair, 2010) Yale Law School Executive Committee Term Member (2019-12) Yale Law Women Summer Alumni Mentor (2013 - 2015) Judicial offices held: 0 Previous public office, political activities, and affiliations: None Previous involvement in political campaigns: On one occasion in 2008, I volunteered at a phone bank for Barack Obama's campaign for President of the United States. My responsibility was to call voters. I did not have a title. Legal experience as an advocate in criminal litigation, civil litigation, administrative proceedings: Engaged in complex civil litigation at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, which she joined in 2007. My billable matters involved contracts, tax, privacy, securities, and patent infringement. My pro bono matters involved adoption, civil rights, criminal law, tort law, and immigration at the trial and appellate level, in federal and state court, and before administrative bodies.... During my decade as a federal defender, I represented over 400 clients accused of federal crimes at every stage of the process, from investigation to trial and pre-trial proceedings, sentencing, and appeal, including petitions for writ of certiorari to the United States Supreme Court. In case types ranging from fraud to firearms, I successfully advised grand jury witness appearances, negotiated pleas, and achieved hundreds of mitigated sentences. I tried seven federal jury trials. I briefed and argued five more appeals in the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit.... Handles civil and criminal cases at Zuckerman Spaeder. Percent of practice in: Federal courts, 80%; state courts, 17%; other courts, 0%; administrative agencies, 3% Percent of practice in: Civil proceedings, 34%; criminal proceedings, 66%. Number of cases tried to verdict: Eight, all jury trials. Describe the 10 most significant litigated matters you handled (WJI is picking the first four listed. All four originated in the Northern District of Illinois): 1. United States v. Brown, No. 12 CR 632-1 From 2012 to 2018, I represented Mr. Brown, who was charged with, among other things, conspiracy to rob a fictitious drug stash house. In 2013, I and two attorneys in a related case began challenging the pattern of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives in bringing these cases largely against African-American and Latino defendants. The groundbreaking discovery litigation we initiated attracted the attention of the University of Chicago's Federal Criminal Justice Clinic. In 2014, the clinic joined the effort and spearheaded (1) the filing of a Motion to Dismiss for Racially Selective Law Enforcement in 12 pending cases on behalf of 43 defendants and (2) the retention of an expert statistician to support defendants' position and testify at an unprecedented nine-judge evidentiary hearing in 2017. In 2018, the district court denied defendants' Motion to Dismiss. Nonetheless, the course of events resulted in favorable plea offers to all defendants and my client was sentenced to time served. The litigation also resulted in the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Illinois no longer charging fictitious stash house cases. Susan Roth and Katie Kegel are defense lawyers running for the Milwaukee County Circuit Court Branch 3 bench being vacated by Clare Fiorenza, who is not seeking re-election. Election Day is April 6. Kegel, an assistant state public defender, received her law degree from Marquette University, where she now is an adjunct professor. Her resume is here. Roth, an attorney/partner in the Kohn Smith Roth law firm, also is a Marquette Law School graduate. Her resume is here. WJI asked each of the candidates to answer a series of questions. The answers are presented here as submitted. The questions asked are patterned after some of those on the job application Gov. Evers uses when he is considering judicial appointments. Added bonus! The two candidates will discuss their positions and qualifications at the March 10 WJI Virtual Salon. The free Zoom event will be from noon to 1 p.m. Register here.
"Evers' judges" is our effort to present information about Gov. Tony Evers' appointees to the bench. The information is taken from the appointees' own judgeship applications. WJI also will continue to profile former Gov. Scott Walker's appointees who are still in office. Name: Beau Liegeois Appointed to: Brown County Circuit Court Appointment date: Sept. 20, 2019. (Elected to a six-year term in April 2020) Education: Law School – Valparaiso University, Valparasio, IN Undergraduate – University of Wisconsin Madison High School – Green Bay West High School Judge Advocate General training – U.S. Army JAG's Legal Center and School Recent legal employment: 2008-present – Brown County District Attorney's Office 2010-2018 – Wisconsin Army National Guard 2007-2008 – Brown County Corporation Counsel's Office Bar and Administrative Memberships: State of Wisconsin General character of practice before becoming a judge: Mostly criminal prosecution; also active in developing treatment court as an alternative to incarceration. Describe typical clients: Represented military personnel as a defense counsel while a JAG. Also assisted with family law issues, wills, and powers of attorney. Number of cases tried to verdict or judgment: 27 jury trials, 50+ court trials. Describe up to three significant trials, appeals, or other legal matters in which you participated as a judge or lawyer in the past seven years: State v. Riemer – 2015 – Wisconsin Army National Guard – recruiter misconduct – I was assigned as Assistant Trial Counsel (military prosecutor). This was the first General Court Martial in the history of the Wisconsin National Guard. The recruiter committed offenses that were not civilian crimes so the local district attorney was unable to prosecute. However, they were very serious military crimes, so the Adjutant General wanted the offenses prosecuted in a military criminal court. The co-Trial Counsel, CPT Criag Lambert, and I had to draft many court documents from scratch because we were utilizing the Wisconsin Code of Military Justice, Chapter 322 of the Wisconsin Statutes, for the first time in our state's history. The defendant pied guilty to felony offenses and received the first jail sentence in the history of the Wisconsin National Guard. At the conclusion of the case, Craig and I received a meritorious challenge coin from the Adjutant General, Major General Donald Dunbar. State v. Brittany Mefford – Brown County case 13CF295 – 1st degree reckless homicide – delivering drugs – My role was the prosecutor at the jury trial where the defendant was found guilty. This was a complicated case where mulitple (sic) individuals delivered the heroin in a chain before the heroin reached the overdose victim. This defendant was the highest in the chain of deliveries and the first drug dealer in the chaine (sic) who was actually profitting (sic) from the sale of heroin. The overdose victim's family was very involved in the case. The victim's grandmother attended every court hearing, but his mother was so emotionally devastated that she was unable to even walk into the courtroom. The defendant was found guilty at trial and sentenced to 6 years of initial confinement in prison. State v. Maria J. Patino – Brown County case 12CF1570 – Conspiracy to deliver THC – My role was the prosecutor at the jury trial where the defendant was found guilty. This case was part of a large-scale drug trafficking organization that shipped drugs and firearms from California to Brown County. The most significant participants in this conspiracy ended up pleading guilty and received long prison sentences. This conspirator went to trial on her case. It was a difficult case to try because there was no evidence that the defendant ever actually handled the drugs. Her role was laundering hundreds of thousands of dollars that were the proceeds from drug transactions to support the drug trafficking organization. She was sentenced to 2 years of initial confinement in prison. Experience in adversary proceedings before administrative bodies: Represented defendants and the government before the administrative separation board Previous runs for political office: Ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. House of Representatives in 2018. Position or involvement in judicial, non-partisan, or partisan political campaign, committee, or organization: None All judicial or non-partisan candidates endorsed in the last six years: Tony Evers, governor Tammy Baldwin, U.S. Senate Mandela Barnes, Lt. governor Josh Kaul, attorney general Sarah Godlewski, state treasurer David Lasee, Brown County district attorney All of the endorsements were in 2018. By Gretchen Schuldt State Supreme Court candidate Jill Karofsky won in most of the North Shore suburbs of Milwaukee County in Tuesday's primary election, while incumbent Daniel Kelly did better in the southern suburbs. Karofsky, with 47,432 votes, was the top Milwaukee County finisher in the Feb. 18 primary. Incumbent Daniel Kelly finished second, with 44,088 votes, and Ed Fallone finished third, with 25,963 votes. Statewide, Kelly finished first with 352,855 votes, Karofsky got 261,723, and Fallone received 89,181. Karofsky and Kelly will compete in the April 7 general election. In Milwaukee County Karofsky won in Bayside, Brown Deer, Fox Point, Glendale, Milwaukee, St. Francis, Shorewood, and Whitefish Bay. Kelly won in Cudahy, Franklin, Greendale, Greenfield, Hales Corners, Oak Creek, River Hills, South Milwaukee, Wauwatosa, West Allis, and West Milwaukee. Karofsky, a Dane County circuit judge, and Fallone, a Marquette University law professor, are considered more liberal than Kelly, who was appointed by former Gov. Scott Walker and is a member of the conservative Federalist Society. Kelly won in some communities because Karofsky and Fallone split the more liberal vote. All other things being equal, if Fallone voters back Karofsky in the general election, she will pick up Cudahy, River Hills, South Milwaukee, Wauwatosa, and West Milwaukee, all of which went for Kelly in the primary. She also would pick up an additional 96 wards in the city of Milwaukee. Statewide, Karofsky would need to pick up all of Fallone's votes, plus 1,952 more to unseat Kelly. Milwaukee County primary voter turnout was highest in Shorewood, at 34%, and lowest in West Milwaukee, at 18%. Kelly / Karofsky battle gets nasty at Supreme Court candidate forum; Fallone stays clear of it1/30/2020 By Gretchen Schuldt (We'll be coming back to this forum in later posts.) State Supreme Court Justice Daniel Kelly on Thursday accused challenger Jill Karofsky of "disgusting slander" before insisting that Karofsky apologize to Chief Justice Patience Roggensack, who hadn't been mentioned by anyone until Kelly brought her up. Marquette University Law Professor Ed Fallone, the third candidate vying for a 10-year term on the court, remained removed from the back-and-forth. "There may be people around the state of Wisconsin who are happy to see our Supreme Court elections descend to this level," Fallone said. "If there are, I've never met them." The Karofsky-Kelly battle occurred during a Supreme Court candidate forum sponsored by the Milwaukee Bar Association and WJI. Karofsky went after Kelly hard, saying he catered to right wing special interests. Near the end of the forum she said, "I just want to respond to Justice Kelly, saying I don't have any examples of him always finding (for) the right-wing special interest, and that's not true. The Koschkee case is a prime example. The lame-duck case is an example where the Supreme Court couldn't even wait to get their hands on that case to make a ruling." In Koschkee, a 2019 decision, the Supreme Court ruled the governor had the right to reject rules proposed by the State Department of Public Instruction. The ruling reversed the court's 2016 decision on the same issue. The "lame duck" reference is to the Supreme Court's 2019 decision to uphold laws passed by the Republican-dominated Legislature to strip newly elected Democratic leaders, including Gov. Tony Evers and Attorney General Josh Kaul, of powers their predecessors enjoyed. "They plucked it from the circuit court before the circuit court could even hold a hearing on it," said Karofsky, a Dane County circuit judge, "and they did it in the budget veto case again, and no one is going to be surprised by how Justice Kelly rules on those cases. They pulled them from the circuit court so that they could make the decision that they want to make as soon as they possibly could." Kelly responded sharply, and then pulled Roggensack into it. "I think we really do have to take Judge Karofsky to task for this disgusting slander, not just on me, but on my colleagues as well," he said. "This is about your personal advancement and you don't care who you are going to lie about," Kelly said. "But that's really not even the worst of it." Since he and Roggensack often agree, he said, Karofsky must be referring with her criticism to the chief justice as well. "And that is an outrageous slander on someone who has been a paragon of integrity for the entirety of her career and the practice of law and her service on the bench," he said. "Now you owe me an apology for this disgusting slander," he said. "I don't think I'll get one. Because if you didn't have slander, you wouldn't have a campaign. But you do owe Chief Justice Roggensack an apology. She's not here. She's not been part of this campaign. And she did not ask to be slandered by some careless trial judge who can't even be bothered to keep her insults focused on the target. So this is your opportunity. Apologize to Chief Justice Roggensack right now." "I'm not going to be bullied by you," Karofsky responded. Karofsky, Kelly said, "does not have the judgment or the character to get anywhere near the Supreme Court."
Forum moderator Steve Walters gave Karofsky a chance to respond. The comments she made reflect "what the voters, the people in the state of Wisconsin, are seeing," she said. "They are seeing decisions made on the Supreme Court before anyone ever walks into the state Supreme Court chamber. That isn't what justice is." Justice, she said, "is when a judge looks at the law and the judge allows the facts to percolate in a trial court, where I sit, so that witnesses can answer questions so that there can be a fair hearing, so that there is a process that is followed that everyone can see. That is what justice is. And then after that, the law is applied to the facts of the case and that's how you reach the right answer. That is what people in the state of Wisconsin are asking for and that is what they deserve." |
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