WJI's Daily Reads for May 18, 2022

Vanity Fair: Wisconsin's official 2020 electors sue the Republicans' purported electors.

“Defendants not only helped lay the groundwork for the events of January 6, 2021, but also inflicted lasting damage on Wisconsin’s civic fabric,” the complaint reads.

The complaint, filed on behalf of Wisconsin’s official electors, seeks a “definitive statement” from the court that the scheme was improper, as well as punitive damages from the Republican electors who allegedly met to draft fake paperwork delivering the state’s 10 electoral votes to Trump: Andrew Hitt; Robert F. Spindell, Jr.; Bill Feehan; Kelly Ruh; Carol Brummer; Edward Scott Grabins; Kathy Kiernan; Darryl Carlson; Pam Travis; and Mary Buestrin. It also names attorneys James R. Troupis and Kenneth Chesebro, who in a memo following the 2020 election discussed the plan to introduce competing electors. Two of the defendants, Hitt and Ruh, were subpoenaed earlier this year by the House select committee investigating January 6, which is examining the fake electors plot as part of its probe. (Hitt agreed to comply.)

“There needs to be accountability for the fraudulent electors, because otherwise this will just happen again and again,” Jeffrey Mandell, the Wisconsin lawyer who filed the suit, tells Vanity Fair. “If we don’t have accountability, if we don’t have clarity on this, the system breaks down. It alienates people from democracy. This is a place where we need to restore some norms.”

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Milwaukee police now enforcing city's curfew for minors.

Although none of those arrested were minors, (Milwaukee Police Chief Jeffrey) Norman said officials decided to enforce the curfew as a form of protection. Minors have been increasingly caught up in the city’s historic violent crime over the last two and a half years. ...

Norman said the enforcement will extend to parents of children violating the curfew as well. The city’s curfew ordinance prohibits anyone 17 and younger to congregate in public spaces during overnight hours, starting at either 10 or 11 p.m. and lasting until 5 a.m., depending on the day of the week and time of year.

Fines can range from $100 to $200 and can be extended to minors themselves, along with parents and business owners. Exceptions are made for minors in the company of a parent or guardian.

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Judge tosses $1.4 million jury verdict against Ald. Bob Bauman.

A judge has thrown out jury verdicts that Milwaukee Ald. Bob Bauman wrongly defamed a nonprofit housing agency in the 2000s and should pay $1.4 million in damages.

Circuit Judge Pedro Colón found the plaintiff, Tri-Corp Housing, Inc., was a "limited purpose public figure" and therefore needed to prove Bauman acted with actual malice, and failed to do so.

WPR and Wisconsin Watch: Episode 3 of the Open and Shut podcast — looking back at problems in the Mark Price case involving Joe Paulus and Vince Biskupic.

Axios: Awaiting a presidential executive order on police reform.

Above the Law: Female D.C. Circuit Judge hasn't hired a female law clerk in 20 years.

Since being elevated to the appellate court in 1990 by George H. W. Bush (prior to that she was on the district court of South Carolina), (D.C. Circuit) Judge (Karen L.)  Henderson has only hired one female law clerk. ...

This hiring pattern was revealed as part of a confidential workplace survey conducted in the D.C. district and circuit courts, a copy of which was obtained by the Washington Post. Chief Judge Sri Srinivasan said the survey — which was completed by more than 400 current and former court employees — was conducted as part of an effort to ensure all employees are treated with dignity and respect. And yet, what the survey revealed was allegations of discrimination and bullying.