Meet the candidates for Sheboygan County Circuit Judge

In Sheboygan County, Judge Daniel Borowski is not running for reelection. Cassandra Van Gompel and George Limbeck vie for the open seat.

​Election day is April 4. Absentee and early voting are underway.

Van Gompel, a local attorney manager with the State Public Defender, received her law degree from Marquette University Law School. Her resume is here.

Limbeck, an attorney with Limbeck Law Office, received his law degree from Washington University School of Law (St. Louis). His resume is here.

WJI asked each of the candidates to answer a series of questions. The questions asked are patterned after some of those on the job application Gov. Evers uses when he is considering judicial appointments. The answers are printed as submitted, without editing or insertion of “(sic)” for errors.

Van Gompel provided her resume and responded to the full questionnaire. Limbeck provided his resume and responded to part of the questionnaire. WJI has reached out to him again to obtain a complete response and will revise this post if he submits it.

CASSANDRA VAN GOMPEL

Why do you want to become a judge? 
I am running for judge to serve the citizens of Sheboygan County. I decided to run for judge because I saw an opportunity to serve the citizens of Sheboygan County by applying my knowledge of the law, experience in handling difficult cases, and my ability to listen to people in their most challenging moments. I am a qualified candidate who cares. I have a history of excellence in my work and would bring my high standards to the bench. It is important a judge not only knows the law but applies the law to render a just result. In my capacity as Local Attorney Manager, I have served on County Committees including Drug Treatment Court, Child in Need of Protection and Services Committee, Security Committee, and Criminal Justice Coordinating Committee.
 
Name one of the best United States or Wisconsin Supreme Court opinions in the last thirty years and explain why you feel that way. 
One of the best Wisconsin Supreme Court cases is State of Wisconsin v. Gallion. Gallion is important because it gave guidance to Circuit Court Judges on which factors to consider at sentencing including: the nature and gravity of the offense, the character and rehabilitative needs of the defendant, and the need to protect the community. It is important that our circuit court judges have guidance on these factors to provide the community with a sense of consistency and fairness during sentencing.

Name one of the worst United States or Wisconsin Supreme Court opinions in the last thirty years and explain why you feel that way. 
One of the decisions I do not agree with is League of Women Voters of Wisconsin v. Evers. In this case, the Wisconsin Supreme Court considered the constitutionality of extraordinary sessions held by the Wisconsin Legislature and, specifically, whether an extraordinary session convened by the legislature in December 2018 was constitutional. The court held that the December 2018 extraordinary session was constitutional. This opinion is problematic because one of the bedrocks of our democracy is transparency of our government. Wisconsin has robust open records and open meetings laws to ensure our citizens opinions can be heard. The Courts must assure that everyone follows the rule of law regardless of political ideology, including our legislative and executive branches.
 
Describe your judicial philosophy. 
My judicial philosophy is similar to the philosophy expressed by Chief Justice John Robert's during his nomination process. In summary, he promised to confront every case with an open mind and to fully and fairly analyze the legal arguments that are presented. Judges are like umpires. Umpires don’t make the rules, they apply them.  They make sure everybody plays by the rules. Judges should be governed by what is right, not what is popular.
 
Describe the two most significant cases in which you were involved as either an attorney or a judicial officer.
Because of Wisconsin Supreme Court Rule 20:1.6 regarding confidentiality, I will not discuss any of the cases where I have represented clients. I have brought numerous cases to jury trial, court trial, and contested hearing.

Describe your legal experience as an advocate in criminal litigation, civil litigation, and administrative proceedings.   
I have experience in all three of these areas. My primary practice area has been in criminal litigation. I have been appointed on approximately 1,800 cases, most of those cases being criminal matters. I also have experience in civil litigation, handling mental health commitments, Child in Need of Protection and Services cases, Termination of Parental Rights cases, and child support contempt proceedings. Finally, I have represented clients in administrative hearings, appearing in front of Administrative Law Judges in the Department of Hearings and Appeals. 
 
Have you ever been convicted of a crime, either misdemeanor or felony? If so, explain. When did the incident(s) occur?
No

Do you support requiring a justice or judge to recuse him/herself from cases involving donors and indirect supporters who contribute money or other resources to the judge's election? If not, why not? If so, why? What contribution limits would you set?
I believe there should be further consideration to the recusal of judges and justices. This topic should be studied more to see if there is a correlation between judges decision making and the issues their large donors. I also feel like a rule would ensure that recusal decisions were less political and did not affect certain judges or groups more than others. If such a rule were to be instituted, I would follow the rule and make appropriate disclosure to ensure public trust in our judicial system. 

What are the greatest obstacles judges face when trying to deliver true justice? What can or should be done about them? 
The top obstacle is the lack of access to legal resources. Whether the resource be legal representation, legal information, or legal forms, the court system needs to be accessible to all. Regarding the lack of access to legal information, I have previously presented to the Sheboygan County Bar Association about free legal research and feel these resources should be made available to unrepresented parties. An informed party in the legal system makes the process fairer and more efficient. I am passionate about bringing more attorneys to Sheboygan County. As judge, I will work with University of Wisconsin Law School and Marquette University Law School to build a robust internship program in Sheboygan County. I have supervised interns who have decided to work in our area after graduation from law school, and I plan to bring law students to Sheboygan County as law clerks, paralegals, and student practitioners in our public and private sectors. ​

GEORGE LIMBECK

What are the greatest obstacles judges face when trying to deliver true justice? What can or should be done about them? ​
True Justice means that only those guilty of a crime are charged, convicted and sentenced. True justice would mean that a person is only charged with those crimes actually committed and not over charged to assist with plea negotiations. True justice means that parties to the criminal justice system, judge, prosecutor, law enforcement and defense attorneys have the experience and training to ensure that accurate results are reached. True justice means that when there is a conviction, the sentence reflects what is minimally necessary to punish, allow for rehabilitation while protecting the community from recidivism. True justice ensures the opportunity for healing for both defendant and victim is maximized.

As a circuit court judge, I can use my 36+ years of experience to ensure that the rules are followed, thereby maximizing the risk that the innocent are not charged, much less convicted. I can use my appointment power to ensure that defendants who are entitled to an attorney but cannot afford to hire an attorney receive quality representation. I can use my position to influence the legislature to provide adequate funding for hiring new police and attorneys but also improve training and resources available to these key participants in the criminal justice process.​