Evers' judges: Jenna Gill

​​​"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.
 
Italics indicate direct quotes from the application.​ Typos, including punctuation errors, come from the original application even though we have not inserted “(sic)” after each one. WJI has left them as is.

Name: Jenna Gill
 
Appointed to: Lafayette County Circuit Court
 
Appointment date: June 14, 2024, to term ending July 31, 2025
 
Education:
Law School – William Mitchell College, St. Paul, Minnesota
Undergraduate – University of Wisconsin-Madison
High School – Darlington High, Darlington, Wisconsin
 
Recent legal employment:
January 2017-present – District attorney, Lafayette County
January 2012-December 2016 – Attorney, Russell Law Offices, Darlington, Wisconsin
 
Bar admissions:
State Bar of Wisconsin
U.S. District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin
 
General character of practice:
Currently as the District Attorney, I prosecute a variety of crimes that come into our office, including ordinance and traffic violations, misdemeanors and felony matters. As the solo attorney in my office until a part-time prosecutor was added, I handled every case myself averaging over 300 cases per year. Prior to being the District Attorney, I handled family law cases, including divorces and child custody matters, small claims actions representing both individuals and financial institutions, civil matters for both individuals and financial institutions, real estate transactions, and business and estate planning.
 
Describe typical clients:
I currently represent the State of Wisconsin carrying a felony and misdemeanor caseload. As a private attorney, I represented primarily Lafayette County residents, along with businesses and financial institutions.
 
Number of cases tried to verdict: 13 jury trials, dozens of court trials
 
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:
One specific trial that stands out as significant involved two sexual assault victims that reported decades later. The first victim to report came forward after being assaulted by her brother as a child, through age 16, with her brother being several years older than she was. She endured extreme emotional trauma because of the assaults after her reports to family went ignored and were covered up by her parents. It wasn't until her parents passed away and she was forced to confront her brother about the estate proceedings that she inadvertently reported it to law enforcement when dealing with other matters. The impact the assaults had on her life were unique. She moved out of her childhood home to essentially never return and became an accomplished working woman, but never married or dated to significance because of her past and distrust for other people. While conducting her interviews, law enforcement learned there was a possibility that her brother also assaulted his own daughter years later in the early 1990s. The defendant's daughter was hesitant to disclose the assaults because she struggled with drug addiction and was involved in the criminal justice on her own. At the time, the daughter had just recently graduated from our treatment court program and was doing well in life. I tried the case in Lafayette County before the Honorable Faun M. Phillipson in August 2023 with the defendant being represented by Attorney Andrea Winder. The charges only involved the defendant's daughter because of the statute of limitations on charges relating to his sister. However, his sister was able to testify and tell her story through an "Other Acts Motion" I filed, which was granted by the court. The jury found the defendant guilty despite the victim's own criminal history. It was significant because of the age of the case, but also the different impacts the assaults had on each individual victim and the fact that one victim was also a defendant I was familiar with. The case was a great example to show the community that the criminal justice system is meant to protect victims in every capacity and that no bias should exist when prosecuting cases based on who the victim is or what choices they have made in life. The case stems far beyond sexual assaults. All three of the children to this defendant have been involved in the criminal justice system, impacted by the drug epidemic. Each one separately had an opportunity to complete treatment court programs, two successfully doing so, but all three children are currently incarcerated within the Wisconsin State Prison, along with their father. However, the case provided an overarching look at how a defendant's upbringing impacts them through adult life and emphasized the need to protect children in our communities and provide intervention to them at an early age.
 
Experience in adversary proceedings before administrative bodies: N/A
 
Describe your non-litigation experience (e.g., arbitration, mediation). While in private practice, I practiced in several areas of transactional law, including real estate, estate planning, and business planning, which are general non-litigation. In addition, we occasionally utilized mediation services for settlements of various types of cases.
 
Position or involvement in judicial, non-partisan, or partisan political campaign, committee, or organization: N/A
 
Previous runs for public office:
Lafayette County district attorney, elected, serving 2017-present
 
All judicial or non-partisan candidates endorsed in the last ten years: (None listed)
 
Professional or civic and charitable organizations:
Lafayette County Bar Association, member, 2012-present
Lafayette County CJCC, co-chair, 2017-present
 
Significant pro bono legal work or volunteer service:
In private practice, our office engaged in various legal work pro bono for individuals within the community. Since taking office as the District Attorney, I have not performed any pro bono legal work.
 
Quotes:
 
Why I want to be a judge:
Having already held a role of public service, I recognize the importance of holding a position of this authority. I believe that I am the best candidate to serve the people of our county, because I have earned the trust of the community, as an individual, but also as the District Attorney. I want to ensure that our county continues down the path that Judge Jorgenson left in his passing, one where the public feels confident in the judge’s ability to serve the people how they wish to be served by upholding the law. My experience in almost every area of law applicable in our community has given me the experience needed to handle the variety of matters presented before the court on a daily and weekly basis. I have established relationships with the legal community and key stakeholders within the community to continue to develop the court system to meet the needs of Lafayette County. Ultimately, I want to serve Lafayette County as Judge because I feel compelled to maintain integrity in the system and believe I hold the knowledge of what it will take to do so in an effective and efficient manner. Without someone truly invested in the community they serve, where they live, where their children or grandchildren attend school, where they volunteer, where they attend community events and parades, where they go to Friday night fish fry, and where they go to church, the integrity of the system instantly depletes. The system loses its sense of “community” when the investment in said community doesn’t exist. The people become “people” instead of neighbors, colleagues, friends, acquaintances, business owners of your local stores, and community members.
 
For the last seven plus years, I have worked hard to develop programs that impact our court system and by serving as the Judge, I will be able to continue to provide insight to ensure those programs see the progress necessary to make an impact on the community as a whole. While I did not go to law school specifically to be a judge, I did go with the desire to help people. I’ve now spent my legal career practicing in different areas, assisting the public in many different ways, and I believe I can be the most helpful to the people, our county, by serving as their next Judge as an invested member of the community.
 
Describe which case in the past 25 years by the Wisconsin Supreme Court or U.S. Supreme Court you believe had a significant positive or negative impact on the people of Wisconsin.
It is rare that a case decided by the higher courts are only positive or negative to the people of Wisconsin. Rather, and unfortunate, there are always people on each side of a decision for various reasons. There are many significant cases that impact a large amount of the population but in current practice, applicable to my profession as a district attorney, the implementation of Marsy’s Law has significantly impacted victims in the State of Wisconsin. In Wisconsin Justice Initiative, Inc. v. Wisconsin Elections Commission, the Wisconsin Supreme Court upheld Marsy’s Law, which was voted to incorporate into the Wisconsin Constitution in 2020. While the analysis of the case was based upon a challenge to the wording of the ballot question, the overall outcome was the implementation of Marsy’s Law, which has greatly impacted my office and the victims involved in all types of crimes.
 
In my experience as a prosecutor, victims are often met with frustration in navigating the criminal justice system. While this amendment was meant to be a positive impact for victims of crimes and it has certainly allowed victims to make headway, in practice, the implementation is slow and the concept is still underdeveloped. However, the positive takeaway from all sides is that victims have more of a voice, or at least the opportunity to be heard and be involved in the process.
 
Two or three judges whom I admire and why:
Judge Duane Jorgenson: Despite Judge Jorgenson no longer being with us, his untimely passing offered an opportunity to truly reflect on the admirations many had of him. While I often pointed out his positive attributes to others and how fortunate we all were to appear before him on a daily basis, his funeral brought Judge Jorgenson’s compassion to the forefront. He ruled from the bench with compassion and empathy in a way that stood out from others. He was a very kind person and it showed in each and every interaction he had. It took a lot to get him upset because of his extraordinary patience. There was never a scornful admonishment that may have been appropriate, but a message filled with hope. Judge Jorgenson taught me as a prosecutor to never be discouraged by the outcome of a case, whether by a jury determination or a judge’s sentence that wasn’t quite what I had recommended to the court. Rather, he reminded me of the importance of my role, which was to present the case to the court or jury. My job wasn’t to find people guilty or send people to prison, it was to get the facts before the appropriate decision maker, the jury of their peers or the judge elected by the people who trusted him in our county. Either way, it was about trusting the process and trusting that the same community that elected me as DA and him as Judge would in one way or another, be the ones deciding the ultimate outcome of each case. He was insightful in his words and made an impact by making people reflect upon what was spoken to them.
 
Judge Faun Phillipson: I have the fortunate opportunity to appear before Judge Phillipson on a regular basis. During her short term thus far, she has been able to quickly find her way in the Judge world. Being the first female judge to take the bench in Green County, I quickly gained an admiration for her ability to resonate with people. Similar to myself, Judge Phillipson has a strong desire to serve the community she was born and raised in. She knows the people in the community and their values. She has a rapport with defendants that is unmatched, always speaking at their level, never down to them, appreciating the different levels of intelligence. She truly treats everyone with the highest level of respect, but in way that they understand her. Judge Phillipson has truly immersed herself in the profession and takes great pride in getting to know the people that stand before her. Listening to her speak with each individual, she has an almost magical ability to reason with them and illuminate the true concern she has for each of them. After every hearing, I am always left admiring her sense of reason and level-headed nature.
 
The proper role of a judge:
The Judge, especially in a small rural county, shall be unbiased and nonpartisan while upholding the laws of the State of Wisconsin. Not only does this mean being knowledgeable about the law, but also being willing to learn the law when necessary. A proper judge has the ability to be authoritative to effectively make difficult decisions all while having the ability to be compassionate and empathetic for the persons standing before them. While a judge must interpret the law in each case and guide the procedure in the matters, it is essential the parties are treated fairly and that a fair outcome is reached through discretion.
 
Throughout my legal career, I have had the opportunity to be before dozens of judges and they are not all created equal, each with their own set of strengths and weaknesses. I have always found the most impactful judges to be the ones that were relatable with the individuals before them. Above all, a judge must be an effective communicator, a skill that is sometimes lacking despite the extreme intelligence they possess. The right, or wrong, personality can completely change the course of the court system and the effect of the outcomes of the individuals involved. To truly leave an impact, a positive one, a judge must be personable. Ultimately, a judge must maintain the utmost integrity in running their courtroom. As a leader in the legal community, the proper role of a judge is to be that of a role model, which includes being efficient, timely, fair, open-minded, cordial, educated, dedicated, and trusted.

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