Consolidated Court Automation Programs (CCAP)recently completed statewide installation and training

for a new software tool designed specifically for judges – theJudicial Dashboard. Conceptually, Judicial Dashboard issimilar to an automobile dashboard, providing judges withquick, easy access to essential tools and importantinformation from multiple online sources in one place.

The dashboard’s purpose is two-fold. First, like otherperformance dashboards, it provides the judge withinformation to gauge performance and progress toward case-processing goals. Unscheduled cases and cases failing tomeet case-processing goals are highlighted on the dashboard,allowing the judge to take corrective action if needed.

Second, the dashboard contains quick access to CCAP casemanagement information, as well as various files, Web sitesand applications to make navigating these tools easier and

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H I G H L I G H T S

3 Leadership6 Retirements8 Obituaries9 EBDM Grants

10 Justice on Wheels12 PPAC Update15 People24 Wisconsin Connects

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Gov. Jim Doyle has appointed six new circuit court judgesto fill vacancies created by retirements or resignations in

five Wisconsin counties:

Judge Pedro A. ColónMilwaukee County Circuit Court

On Sept. 20, Gov. Jim Doyle appointed Pedro A. Colón tofill the vacancy on the Milwaukee County Circuit CourtBranch 18 bench created by the retirement of Judge Patricia

D. McMahon (see Retirements on page 5).“Pedro Colón is a dedicated public servant that will serve

the people of Milwaukee County well on the bench,” Doylesaid in a press release. “I know he will work really hard touphold fairness and justice in Milwaukee.”

Colón has served six in the Assembly District and hasworked in private practice since 1994.

“I appreciate the Governor’s confidence in my ability toserve the people of Milwaukee County,” Colón said in the

Six new circuit court judges appointed

see New judges on page 2

New Judicial Dashboard provides judgeseasier access to key informationBy Jean Bousquet, Chief Information Officer

see Dashboard on page 10

Sarah Day, the daughter of thelate Supreme Court ChiefJustice Roland B. Day,presented her father’s portraitto the Supreme Court in theHearing Room on Oct. 26.From left to right: JusticeAnnette Kingsland Ziegler,Justice Patience DrakeRoggensack, Justice Michael J.Gableman, Sarah Day, JusticeDavid T. Prosser, Justice N.Patrick Crooks, Chief JusticeShirley S. Abrahamson, andJustice Ann Walsh Bradley. The Supreme Court alsoreceived and dedicated a photoof the late Chief Justice NathanS. Heffernan in September. Seestory, page 7.

A portion of the screen judges see in the new JudicialDashboard.

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As I stated in my State of the Director’s Office speech inAppleton, author Ernie Schenck in his book entitled

The Houdini Solution described how Houdini didn’t allowhis mind to be consumed with a problem. Rather, Houdinidirected all of his energy toward solving it.

As I look back at 2010, and some of my experiences thisyear, I realized that there are a number of individualsthroughout the court system, who rather than becomingconsumed with budget problems or other challenges, directtheir energy toward solving problems.

During the year, I visited, along with Chief JusticeAbrahamson, Milwaukee Countymultiple times to betterunderstand the unique challengesof a metropolitan area strugglingwith effects of a deep recessionand diminishing resources.During these visits, I observedcriminal proceedings; watchedvolunteer mediators conduct aforeclosure mediation; met withindividuals completing AIMevaluations for Milwaukeejudges; and I attended anexecutive committee meeting of

the Milwaukee County Community Justice Council as wellas a full meeting of the council;

met with Chief Judge Jeffrey A. Kremers, CountyExecutive Scott Walker and others to discuss issuesaffecting the justice system there.

During my most recent visit, I attended an open house forthe Community Justice Resource Center, which providesprogramming to help inmates make the transition from jailto jobs.

During this open house, I had the opportunity to visit with

AODA counselors, instructors from Milwaukee AreaTechnical College, and sheriff deputies who staff the center.It was clear from my short visit at the center that theseindividuals were very committed to giving their clients thetools necessary to be a positive contributor to society. Theywere rooting for them to succeed. At the end of theprogram a couple of clients made presentations about whatthe center meant to them. It was clear that they werethankful for the opportunity and went so far to point out andthank individual judges for assigning them to the center. Itwas clear the center was making a difference for some ofthe clients, and it was the result of a number of individualsworking hard and together to make the center work.

In addition to Milwaukee, I also had the opportunity to sitin on a team meeting and court proceedings for the juveniledrug court in St. Croix County. I witnessed a number ofcommitted individuals discussing what they could do to helpthe kids find a positive direction for their lives. During theproceeding, you could see that the court’s involvement wasmaking a difference.

I even witnessed an Air National Guard air refueling teamduring a training mission. While not court related, it was agreat experience and again demonstrated to me how verydifficult things can be accomplished when working togetheras a team.

I don’t know exactly what 2011 will bring for the courtsystem. Unfortunately, I do know that we are not donedealing with the fallout from the downturn in the economyand state budget difficulties. There are nights that I wakeup concerned about various problems facing the courts. Theone thing that allows me get back to sleep is that I know,and my personal experiences this year reinforce, that theWisconsin court system has a number of individuals thathave the energy, talent and commitment to making adifference, and looking for solutions. n

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Director’s column: Justice system benefits from problem-solversby A. John Voelker, Director of State Courts

A. John Voelker

New judges continued from front page

governor’s press release. “I lookforward to continuing in my roleas a public servant and to makesure that all the citizens of theCounty of Milwaukee get a fairhearing while I preside overBranch 18.”

Colón received his bachelor’sdegree from MarquetteUniversity and his law degreefrom UW Law School. He livesin the south side of Milwaukeewith his wife and two daughters.

Judge Robert A. HawleyWinnebago County Circuit Court

Judge Robert A. Hawley was appointed by Doyle toreplace Judge Bruce K. Schmidt on the Winnebago CountyCircuit Court. Schmidt retired in September (seeRetirements on page 6).

Hawley had previously served on the Winnebago CountyCircuit Court bench, but retired in 2006. He has since served

as a reserve judge.“I want to thank Governor Doyle for this appointment,”

Hawley said in a press release from the governor’s office. “Iam humbled and honored to return to the bench and servethe citizens of Winnebago County, and I’m excited to bringback new ideas from the eight counties that I served as areserve judge over the last few years.”

Hawley, who lives in Sturgeon Bay, is a graduate ofLawrence University andVillanova Law School. He is amember of the Wisconsin TrialJudges Association, WinnebagoCounty Bar Association, andDoor County Bar Association. Hewas originally elected to theWinnebago County Circuit Courtin 1982. He had previouslyserved as district attorney andassistant district attorney forWinnebago County.

“Robert Hawley has

see New judges on page 25

Judge Pedro A. Colon

Judge Robert A. Hawley

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LEADERSHIP

Walking together on common ground:How the state and tribal courts in Bayfield County do itby Judge John P. Anderson, Bayfield County Circuit Court

On Friday, Oct. 29, the circuit court for Bayfield Countyand the Red Cliff tribal court celebrated the fifthanniversary of their unique relationship. Chief JudgeDonald Gurnoe presented Bayfield Circuit Court JudgeJohn P. Anderson with flag of the Red Cliff nation andAnderson presented Gurnoe with a Wisconsin state flag. Forthe first time in Wisconsin’s history, a tribal flag will bedisplayed permanently in a state circuit courtroom.

When you live on the outer rim of Wisconsin, you getused to doing things your own way. Madison and

Bayfield are about as far apart as you can get withoutleaving the boundaries of Wisconsin, and the Red Cliff Bandof Lake Superior Chippewa occupies the most northernpiece of the Wisconsin mainland. We are as isolated as onecan be in Wisconsin. To illustrate our location, guess whichcity with a population greater than 100,000 is closest toBayfield? Guess again. The answer is Thunder Bay,Ontario, Canada! This regional isolation from the powercenters of Wisconsin has bred a unique spirit of selfreliance. This individualistic outlook has even impacted howthe local circuit court and tribal court interact.

Native American Tribes in Wisconsin have increasinglyexercised their sovereign right to adjudicate, through theirown court systems, civil regulatory issues, family law,traffic, juvenile and other non-criminal cases. The Red CliffBand of Lake Superior Chippewa have embarked on thispath, with their own tribal court, chief judge and associatejudges, tribal prosecutor and practicing attorneys. The tribalcourt in Bayfield County and tribal courts throughoutWisconsin are now handling numerous cases that used to beheard in the circuit court system, and that means manypeople are now able to more freely access the justicesystem. It has not always been this way. In BayfieldCounty, with the county seat in Washburn, many tribal

members had to travel upwardsof 30 miles just to get to court.In a county of generationalpoverty, hard and long winters, alarge geographical area and littlepublic transportation, getting tothe courthouse on time is nosmall task for many people

Even with tribal courts taking alarger percentage of the judicialcaseload, there still remained theproblem of tribal members whowere charged with a crime orjuvenile delinquency finding away to the courthouse.

As a judge, I became frustrated with issuing warrants forpeople who did not show up for court only because theycouldn’t find transportation. Unfortunately, many of theseindividuals lived on the Red Cliff Reservation. Thesolution? If tribal members couldn’t make it to my court, Idecided I would bring the court to the reservation. JudgeJames Mohr had started a similar program in Vilas County,and it appeared to be to have real merit.

In 2005, I appeared with Red Cliff Chief Judge Robert W.Buffalo before the Tribal Council in Red Cliff to askpermission to utilize the tribal court facilities every othermonth to hold criminal and juvenile court. The main reasonfor this venture was based on a very practical problem:helping people get to court. But the concept is far moreimportant: you can’t have equal justice under the law if youdon’t have equal access to the law.

Unfortunately, Native Americans have rarely beenafforded the same access to justice that most Americanshave enjoyed, and by bringing the justice system closer totribal members, the hope was to afford an easier path to the

courthouse steps. TheRed Cliff judges andTribal Councilrecognized theproblem andgraciously grantedpermission for thecircuit court to use thetribal court buildingfor criminal andjuvenile intake court.In fact, the Red Cliffcommunity washonored to even beasked!

What started out asa simple solution to areal problem has hadits share of positive,and unintendedconsequences. One

see Leadership on page 4

Attending the Bayfield County celebration were, front row, left to right: Bayfield County Circuit CourtJudge John P. Anderson; Red Cliff Chief Tribal Judge Donald Gurnoe; Bayfield County Circuit CourtClerk Kay Cederberg. Middle row, left to right: Red Cliff Tribal Court Deputy Clerk Tina Butterfield; RedCliff Tribal Court Clerk Heather Defoe; Red Cliff Tribal Chairwoman Rose Gurnoe-Soulier; Red CliffAssociate Tribal Judge Robert Buffalo; Onieda Tribal Judge Leland Ninham; Bayfield County Sheriff-Elect Paul Susienka. Back row, left to right: Chief Judge Benjamin D. Proctor, Eau Claire CountyCircuit Court; Sawyer County Circuit Court Judge Gerald L. Wright; Bad River Tribal Judge RichardAckley; Vilas County Circuit Court Judge Neal A. Nielsen; District IV Court of Appeals Judge GarySherman; District III Court of Appeals Judge Edward R. Brunner; and Sen. Bob Jauch (D-Poplar).

Judge John P. Anderson

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such consequence is how the simple act of sharing facilitiesopened the door to regular communication between the twocourts, law enforcement agencies, attorneys and court staff.Chief Judge Donald Gurnoe and I now meet when circuitcourt is in session in Red Cliff and discuss issues ofconcurrent jurisdiction and court administration. We havediscussed joint grant efforts, joint treatment court efforts,and judicial efficiencies, and talk about noticeable trends inthe caseload. The clerks of both courts also have anopportunity to meet and discuss court processing andinformation sharing between the tribal and state courts. Thelevel of cooperation and respect that has grown between theRed Cliff Tribal Court and the circuit court over the last fiveyears is proof that a little effort to bridge the gap betweenthe state and tribal courts can result in a better justice systemfor everyone.

When tribal and state courts talk about walking oncommon ground, it’s more than just a legal concept ofconcurrent jurisdiction. Every case involves individualpeople and the circuit courts and tribal courts see many ofthe same people and make decisions affecting their lives.When the two courts share information and experiences, thecommon ground becomes very real and apparent. The twocourts in Bayfield County have made a commitment to helptheir citizens with access to the justice system, and in themean time, we have each learned much from each other.More importantly, we are reminded that we are in thistogether. n

Judge John P. Anderson, Bayfield County Circuit Court, hasbeen the circuit judge for Bayfield County since 2003 and isa member of the State/Tribal Judges Forum. He has calledBayfield County his home for his entire life.

LEADERSHIP continued from page 3

Symposium promotes common ground by Bridget Bauman, Children’s Court Improvement Program

Circuit court and tribal courtrepresentatives from Wisconsin attended

the regional Walking on Common GroundSymposium in Michigan on Oct. 12-13, 2010.This event was preceded by the nationalWalking on Common Ground gatherings thatwere held in 2005 and 2008 in an effort tofoster tribal-federal-state court relations. Inaddition to promoting state and tribalcollaboration, participants at the symposiumfrom Wisconsin, Michigan, and Minnesotawere able to share ideas, experiences,resources, and success stories. Examples ofcollaboration and innovation from Wisconsinwere highlighted at the symposium, whichincluded the codification of the federal IndianChild Welfare Act (ICWA) into state statutes,the Teague Protocol, and the State-TribalJustice Forum.

“Wisconsin leads the Midwest in codifyingICWA and developing appropriate protocols toaddress concurrent jurisdictional issues. I wasimpressed and gratified to see the interest anddesire shared by state and tribal judges inpursuing cooperative and collaborative effortsto form a more efficient, integrated andculturally sensitive judicial system,” saidThomas Lister, Jackson County Circuit Courtjudge and member of the State-Tribal JusticeForum. n

Participating in the Common Ground symposium were, from left to right:Judge David Raasch, Stockbridge-Munsee Community; James Botsford,Wisconsin Judicare; Judge Eugene White-Fish, Forest County PotawatomiCommunity; Judge Leon Stenz, Forest and Florence County Circuit Courts;Judge Jeryl Perenich, Forest County Potawatomi Community; Mark Mitchell,Department of Children and Families; Judge Thomas Lister, Jackson CountyCircuit Court; Judge Bruce Wilber, Menominee Indian Tribe; BridgetBauman, Director of State Courts Office; Judge Garold Smith, Lac duFlambeau Tribe; and Kris Goodwill, Ho-Chunk Nation. Not pictured: CarolynGrzelak, St. Croix Chippewa Indians.

Red Cliff Tribal Chairwoman Rose Gurnoe-Soulier shakeshands with Judge John P. Anderson, Bayfield County CircuitCourt, during a flag exchange and plaque presentationceremony in Bayfield on Oct. 29. Also pictured is Red CliffChief Tribal Judge Donald Gurnoe.

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Judge Patricia D. McMahonMilwaukee County Circuit Court

After almost 25 years on theMilwaukee County Circuit CourtBranch 18 bench, Judge PatriciaD. McMahon retired at the end ofAugust.

McMahon was first appointed tothe bench in 1986. She hadpreviously worked in privatepractice and for Legal Action ofWisconsin. She is a graduate ofthe College of William and Maryand Emory University LawSchool.

She has served on the board ofdirectors of the Wisconsin Trust

Account Foundation, Milwaukee Bar Association, andMilwaukee Bar Foundation. She is a member of theSerjeants’ Inn, Thomas Fairchild Inns of Court, NationalAssociation of Women Judges, Wisconsin Trial JudgesAssociation, and Milwaukee Trial Judges Association.

McMahon said she has enjoyed working with the jurors inMilwaukee. She said they often came into her courtroomwith concerns about the judicial system, but the vastmajority found the experience worthwhile in the end, andunderstood the need for people to serve on juries. She saidshe appreciated the opportunity to get to know the peoplewho served on the juries.

She said what she misses most are the people she workedwith, both the support staff in the courthouse and thelawyers in the community. She also found it an interestingexperience to work with the police, the district attorney’soffice and the defense attorneys.

“It’s interesting, important, challenging work but it doesn’tstop. It keeps coming – though we’ve seen some reductionin crime,” she told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel in aninterview.

In her retirement, she plans to travel. She has alreadyspent three weeks in Italy, and next year plans to visit Spain.

“I’ve been able to spend time on one place and enjoy it,”she said of her travels since retiring.

Gov. Jim Doyle appointed Judge Pedro A. Colón to fill thevacancy in Branch 18 (see separate story, front page).

Judge James O. Miller Columbia County Circuit Court

Columbia County Circuit Court Judge James O. Miller hasheld a job since he first worked as a paper boy at the age of12. In February, he will celebrate 40 years in law. How willMiller deal with his upcoming retirement at the end of hiscurrent term in July?

“I’m not sure how to handle having a few months off, butI look forward to trying,” Miller said.

Miller was first elected to the Branch 2 bench in 1999, andreelected in 2005. He had previously worked in private

RETIREMENTS

Judge Patricia D.McMahon

Retirements, elections bring new clerks ofcircuit court to nine countiesNine new clerks of circuit court will take office in

January as a result of retirements and the Nov. 2general election. Here’s a rundown on some of the outgoingclerks.

Kristine DeissWashington County Clerk of Court

Kristine Deiss may be retiring after serving nearly 30years in Washington County government, including the last14 years as clerk of circuit court, but don’t expect to find heridly passing time after her term expires on Jan. 2, 2011.

“In her spare time,” Deiss will continue to serve as mayorof West Bend – a position she has held since June 2007.She said she also hopes to volunteer on court-relatedcommittees as she has done throughout her career.

Deiss currently serves on the Supreme Court Planning andPolicy Advisory Committee (PPAC) and has served 18 yearson the Records Management Committee, among othercommittees over the years.

Deiss is recognized by her peers, judges and court staff asan effective, innovative and professional clerk. She hasserved as president of state associations representing clerksof court, registers in probate and juvenile court clerks.

“She was always wonderful to work with and alwaysinterested in new and innovative pilot programs,” said

Supreme Court Justice Annette Kingsland Ziegler, a formerWashington County judge. “Kris ran a tight ship, and sheserved the public well as clerk of circuit court and alwayshad an eye toward ‘how we can do this better, and serve thepeople better,’” Ziegler said.

Deiss’ court career started in 1981, when she becamesenior court assistant to the late Judge J. Tom Merriam,Washington County Circuit Court. She then served as anassistant to now-retired Judge Richard T. Becker beforebecoming the county’s register in probate and then clerk ofjuvenile court in 1989. She was elected clerk of circuit courtin 1996 and has served four two-year terms and one four-year term in the post. She credits Becker with being a greatteacher. “I always felt like I was working with him, not forhim,” Deiss said of Becker.

Deiss said she relishes her experience in the court systemand has enjoyed administration and the challenges ofproviding services to citizens in a cost-efficient manner.“It was the best education I could have hoped for…. Everyday I woke up, and I never felt like I didn’t want to come towork,” Deiss said.

Throughout her career as clerk, she has often allowedWashington County to serve as a test site for new CCAPpilot programs, such as e-filing, because she said CCAP “isa blessing to court clerks statewide.” Deiss said one of the

see Retirements on page 6

see Clerks on page 26

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RETIREMENTS continued from page 5

practice, as a certified mediator,and as court commissioner andassistant court commissioner forColumbia County.

A graduate of LawrenceUniversity and UW Law School,Miller has served on the 2000Judicial Education Family LawSeminar Planning Committee andas chair of the District IVOAS/OAR GuidelinesFormulation Committee.

Miller said he has had somewonderful moments and some sadmoments while on the bench. One moment that comes tomind is a video shot from a police car he viewed whilehearing an obstruction of justice case. A man had beenattacked by a group, and was attempting to chase the groupso he could hold them and identify them when the policearrived. The police did not understand this, and werepursuing the man as the man chased his attackers.

Miller’s career has also been met with challenges, mostrecently as his county has faced budget cuts and has had tocut staff and reduce some remaining staff’s hours.

“From the perspective of a circuit court judge, doing thejob has been extremely rewarding,” Miller said. “From theperspective of an administrator, it has been frustrating.”

He is very thankful for the respectful and positive peoplehe has worked with and has had in his courtroom.

When looking back over his career, Miller said he is leftwith the question, “How did I get here so fast?”

Judge Robert H.RasmussenPolk County CircuitCourt

Polk County Circuit CourtJudge Robert H. Rasmussenprefers to focus on the successstories that have unfolded in hiscourtroom.

“I believe during the 19-plusyears, I have made substantialpositive changes in lives,”Rasmussen said, particularly forthose with drug and alcoholproblems.

He said he has received letters from people whom he hassentenced, thanking him for sending them to prison becauseit turned out to be a wake-up call, or “epiphany moment” asRasmussen calls them.

Rasmussen retired from the Polk County bench on Nov.30. He was first elected to the circuit court in 1991, and re-elected in 1997, 2003, and 2009. Prior to his election, heworked as district attorney and assistant district attorney forPolk County, and in private practice. A graduate of UW-River Falls and UW Law School, he has served on theJuvenile Jury Instruction Committee.

The people are what Rasmussen said he will miss themost. Not just the people who have appeared before him,

who were generally good people but had made somemistakes, he said. He will also miss the other judges, thecourt staff and the attorneys. “I have had the opportunity todeal with thousands of good people,” Rasmussen said.

Not all of his time has been positive, and he said he hasrecently been troubled by what he perceives as a shift offocus from the quality of justice to quantity of justice. Hesaid he does not believe that judges should base theirsuccess solely on the number of cases they handle. “It’s asad change,” he said.

Now that he’s retired, Rasmussen said he plans to “travelmore, exercise more and eat less,” as well as spend moretime with his wife, children and grandchildren.

Judge Bruce K.SchmidtWinnebago CountyCircuit Court

The legacy of WinnebagoCounty Circuit Court JudgeBruce K. Schmidt can be seen inthe teenagers who have been ableto turn their lives around beforeheading for serious trouble. In1996, Schmidt founded thestate’s first teen court, a programthat has since been recreated inmany other counties around the state.

“Much of what teens do is to impress their peer groups,”Schmidt told Wisconsin Lawyer in 2002. “But if their peerstell them they’re not impressed, that has much more of animpact than hearing the same message from adults.”

Schmidt, who retired in September, was first elected to theWinnebago County Circuit Court in 1991, and reelected in1997, 2003, and 2009. A graduate of UW-Madison, he hadpreviously served as a circuit court commissioner, familycourt commissioner and assistant corporation counsel forWinnebago County.

Schmidt said he notices an increase in the cases,particularly criminal cases, during his time on the bench. Hesaid the dockets became more crowded and they were muchbusier than when he first started. But he felt all the cases heheard were interesting in their own way.

Now that he’s retired, Schmidt said he misses the staff atthe courthouse most of all.

“I had a great staff that was with me the entire time. Theybecame like a family,” Schmidt said.

Schmidt and his fiancée plan to spend time in Wisconsin,as well as her home in Savannah, Ga., and his condo inHilton Head, S.C. In addition to traveling and relaxing,Schmidt said he is doing mediation and arbitration work parttime in Wisconsin and down south.

“I want to still keep my hand in it a little bit,” he said.

Kathleen MunroDodge County Register in Probate

Dodge County Register in Probate Kathleen Munro –

Judge Robert H.Rasmussen

Judge Bruce K. Schmidt

see Retirements on page 16

Judge James O. Miller

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The Wisconsin Supreme Court on separate occasions thisfall accepted official portraits of two late chief justices –

Nathan S. Heffernan and Roland B. Day.Heffernan’s portrait was presented to the Court by State

Bar of Wisconsin President James C. Boll during aceremony Sept. 16. It was unveiled by Heffernan’s children,Michael and Tom Heffernan and Katie Thomas. About 40people attended the Supreme Court Hearing Roomceremony, including current and former justices, familymembers, friends and former clerks of Heffernan.

Heffernan served on the Supreme Court from 1964 to1995 and as chief justice from 1983 to 1995. His 31-yeartenure on the Court makes him the fourth longest-servingjustice in Wisconsin history. Heffernan died April 13, 2007at the age of 86.

During the ceremony, Chief Justice Shirley S. Abrahamsonsaid Heffernan had a profound impact, not only on the law,but also on the operation of the statewide court system.

“This portrait is a tribute not only to Nathan Heffernan,who served the people of Wisconsin long and well, but alsoto the bench and the bar and the court administrators, who

joined together to honor ‘Nat’ in this way,” Abrahamsonsaid.

Heffernan was appointed to the Court at age 43 by Gov.John W. Reynolds in 1964. Before that, he served two yearsas U.S. attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin – aposition to which he was appointed by President John F.Kennedy.

Day’s portrait was presented to the Court by his daughterSarah Day during a brief ceremony in the hearing room onOct. 26. All sitting justices attended the ceremony.

Day is remembered by Court colleagues for fosteringcollegiality and working toward more prompt release ofopinions. Day is remembered by friends and family for hisgood sense of humor, commitment to public service anddedication to family. He died July 26, 2008 at the age of 89.

Day served just one year as chief justice before retiring,but he used that time wisely to help improve theadministration of justice and to encourage better publicunderstanding of the courts, Abrahamson said.

“He used his sense of humor, foresight and administrativeskills to move the court forward,” Abrahamson said.

Day reinstituted the practice of having justices eat lunchtogether at least once a month. He made one rule about thelunches: justices were not allowed to discuss any courtbusiness. The result was a friendly, conversationalatmosphere that carried back into the conference room,where differences can become confrontational, Abrahamsonsaid.

Day was elected in 1976 and was reelected in 1986, afterfirst being appointed by then-Gov. Patrick J. Lucey in 1974.Day became chief justice on Aug. 1, 1995, and retired a yearlater, at the end of his second term.

Day was born June 11, 1919, in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, andwas raised in Eau Claire. He received a bachelor’s degree in1942 and a law degree in 1947, both from the University ofWisconsin. He served overseas in the U.S. Army duringWorld War II.

The portraits of Hefferan and Day are hung in theSupreme Court vestibule along with portraits of each pastchief justice who has died. n

Court accepts Heffernan, Day portraits

Retired Wisconsin Supreme Court Justices, from left toright, Jon P. Wilcox (seated next to his wife, Jane Ann),William G. Callow and William A. Bablitch observe thededication ceremony for the portrait of late Chief JusticeNathan S. Heffernan.

The children of the late Supreme Court Chief Justice Nathan S.Heffernan, Tom Heffernan (left), Katie Thomas, and MichaelHeffernan, unveiled their father’s portrait during a ceremony inthe Supreme Court Hearing Room Sept. 16.

Justice David T. Prosser, left, takes a moment to chat withformer Justice William A. Bablitch during the dedicationceremony for the portrait of the late Chief Justice Nathan S.Heffernan.

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Judge Mark J. FarnumRock County Circuit Court

Mark J. Farnum, former RockCounty Circuit Court judge,passed away on Nov. 5 at the ageof 84.

Prior to serving on the bench,Farnum served in the Navy duringWWII, as a radioman and on aminesweeper in Southeast Asia.After receiving his law degreefrom UW-Madison in 1952, heworked in private practice until1954, when he became anassistant district attorney for

Rock County. In 1958, he became the Rock County districtattorney, a position he held until he took the Rock Countybench in 1962.

Throughout his career, Farnum was an active member ofmany boards and committees, including the WisconsinJudicial Commission, Civil Jury Instruction Committee,Wisconsin Board of Criminal Court Judges and WisconsinBoard of County Judges, Wisconsin Judicial Council,Judicial Council Evidence Committee, and the WisconsinCriminal Procedure Code Revision Committee. He alsoserved as deputy chief judge for the Fifth Judicial District.

Farnum’s reputation and dedication to the judicial systemwere well known through out the courthouse.

“He trained a whole generation of lawyers about what

see Obituaries on page 20Judge Mark J. Farnum

OBITUARIES

La Crosse County Veterans Court launched Veterans in La Crosse County have a new place

to turn for help with their legal problems. Thecounty’s Veterans Court, which will operate like adrug or alcohol court, debuted on Veterans Day,Nov. 11.

The program is possible thanks to the efforts ofthe La Crosse County Circuit Court, the La CrosseCounty Veterans Office and local law enforcement.

“What we’re doing right now is we have the Cityof La Crosse Police Department and the OnalaskaPolice Department identifying veterans at the timeof contact,” La Crosse County Circuit Court JudgeTodd W. Bjerke, who has served as a judge advocatein the U.S. Army Reserves since 1989, told WEAU-TV.

Once they have been identified as veterans by lawenforcement, they are offered a mentor, a fellowveteran who can offer them advice and help themfind resources.

“The veterans court mentors are not lawyers and they arenot social workers,” Thomas Downer, La Crosse area seniorveterans’ mentor coordinator told the La Crosse Tribune.“They help the veterans find those resources and are thereto lend a helping hand and a listening ear.”

In June 2009, judges, prosecutors, public defenders,treatment providers and county veteran services officersfrom around the state gathered at the Leave No One Behind:Veterans in the Criminal Justice System conference todiscuss strategies for establishing veterans courts inWisconsin. The conference was sponsored by the WisconsinPublic Defender, Department of Corrections, Department ofJustice, Veterans Administration, Department of VeteransAffairs, and the Wisconsin court system.

La Crosse joins Rock and Iron counties in operatingveterans courts. Other Wisconsin counties are in the process ofplanning veterans courts.

The La Crosse program is designed to assist veterans whoenter the criminal justice system find the help that isavailable for them through federal, state and local programs,and address the issues that may be leading them to criminalactivity to help them readjust to civilian life.

“Veterans have some unique issues,” Bjerke told WEAU.

“They self-medicate with drugs and alcohol.” AS in other specialty courts offered around the state,

veterans who choose to participate and receive treatmentwill receive consideration by the court for any progress theymake while in the program.

“If we can save a handful of veterans, get them helpinstead of jailing them, it’s certainly worth it,” La CrosseVeterans Service Officer Jim Gausmann told the La CrosseTribune.

Counties without veterans courts can reach out to theirlocal county veteran service officers to find services toassist veterans appearing in their court.

More information on the La Crosse County Veterans Courtcan be found at: www.co.la-crosse.wi.us/Departments/Veterans/docs/MentorProgram.htm

For more information on resources for veterans inWisconsin, visit county veterans service officers:dva.state.wi.us/CVSO.asp, tribal veterans service officers:dva.state.wi.us/cvso_tvso.asp, or the County VeteransService Officers Association of Wisconsin:www.wicvso.org. n

La Crosse County Circuit Court Judge Todd W. Bjerke swears inveterans court mentors on Veterans Day. The mentors will act asadvocates for veterans who face legal problems in the county’s newVeterans Court.

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Two Wisconsin counties are among just sevenjurisdictions nationwide selected for a federal grant to

assist in the development of evidence-based practices in thecriminal justice system.

Teams from Eau Claire and Milwaukee counties beganworking at the beginning of October on a year-long effortto develop plans to improve the local criminal justicesystem, based on some of the best programs and researchfrom across the country.

Each community will becompeting to demonstrate howbig a difference can be madewhen a community implements arigorous, highly collaborativecommitment to evidence-basedpractices in criminal justice. Atthe end of the year, the list ofseven will be pared down to two.The lucky duo will continue toreceive federal assistance inputting their plans into practice.Can Wisconsin be fortunateenough to win both slots?

The grants, funded by theNational Institute of Corrections,

are designed to encourage courts, prosecutors, publicdefenders, law enforcement, corrections officials and localgovernments to think fundamentally about how they decidewhich offenders to incarcerate, which to detain, which totreat, which to train and which to leave alone.

Chief Judge Jeffrey A. Kremers, Milwaukee CountyCircuit Court, who spearheaded Milwaukee County’s effortto win the grant, explained, “We tend to assume that weknow that what we are doing at any given time is the mostcost-effective way to do it. But EBDM (evidence-baseddecision making) forces you to prove it, and if the evidence

shows that it isn’t working, or that there is a better way towork it, then you change.”

All seven teams were flown to Washington early inOctober for two days to begin EBDM training and beginplanning improvements in their local systems.

In addition to the Eau Claire and Milwaukee teams, therewere teams from Charlottesville, Virginia; Grand Junction,Colorado; Marion, Indiana (near Fort Wayne); St. Paul,Minnesota; and Yamhill County, Oregon (near Portland).Each team included most or all of the following officials: ajudge, a prosecutor, a public defender, the head of local lawenforcement, a Criminal Justice Council coordinator, acorrections official, a pretrial services supervisor, and arepresentative of the local government. All seven teamstrained collaboratively with each other.

Collaboration is the key focus of the initial plan developedby the Eau Claire team. Different units within Eau Claire’scriminal justice system have implemented EBDM in oneform or another, but the team sensed that even greater gainsmight be accomplished if the various plans were integrated.

Tiana Glenna, the administrator of Eau Claire’sCommunity Justice Council, explained that the team isworking on a “cohesive EBDM strategy throughout thejustice system. We have different entities that are eachimplementing evidence-based practices. We want to linkeach decision with each other decision and know that theseries of decisions as a whole is justified by the evidenceand is a best practice.”

Eau Claire County’s efforts to implement evidence-baseddecision making practices were featured in a WEAU-TVnews story broadcast Nov. 18. The story featured interviewswith Eau Claire County Circuit Court Judge Michael A.Schumacher, Eau Claire Police Chief Jerry Matysik andBecki Nay, Principal of The Center for Effective Public

Criminal justice system stakeholders from Milwaukee Countytraveled to Maryland earlier this year for a workshop onevidence-based decision making. Among them, left to right,Judge Richard J. Sankovitz, Milwaukee County Circuit Court;Nick Sayner, Director, Justice 2000 Pretrial Services;Thomas Reed, First Assistant State Public Defender; JamesHiller, Milwaukee Criminal Justice Council Coordinator; JohnChisolm, Milwaukee County district attorney; RobertaGaither, regional chief, state Department of CorrectionsDivision of Community Corrections; and Holly Szablewski,Milwaukee County Judicial Review Coordinator.

Criminal justice system stakeholders from Eau Claire Countytraveled to Maryland earlier this year for a workshop onevidence-based decision making. Among them, left to right,Reserve Judge and former Eau Claire County Circuit CourtJudge Thomas H. Barland; G. Richard White, Eau Claire CountyDistrict Attorney; Mary Liedtke, state public defender, Eau ClaireTrial Office; J. Thomas McCarty, Eau Claire Countyadministrator, Tiana Glenna, administrator, criminal justicecollaborating council; Judge Michael Schumacher, Eau ClaireCounty Circuit Court; Gena Jarr, regional chief, communitycorrections.

Grants help Eau Claire, Milwaukee countiesdevelop evidence-based strategiesBy Judge Richard J. Sankovitz, Milwaukee County Circuit Court

see Grants on page 28

Judge Richard J.Sankovitz

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more manageable. The dashboard arranges and consolidatesonto a single screen some of the most important computingtools used by judges. Tools are arranged into smallwindows or “docklets,” which can be maximized for easyviewing of information.

CCAP case management information – cases, calendarsand documents

The Judicial Dashboard has simplified case and documentsearches. While the CCAP case management search screenincludes 40 different search criteria, the dashboard has beenstreamlined to provide only two types of search criteria forcases – case number and party name. Search results canalso be filtered by key words for further refinement. Casedetails include party names, attorneys, charges, court recordand sentence information, all on a single screen. Using thenew dashboard, judges no longer need navigate throughmany “layers” to view this information. Electronicdocuments, including those that have been scanned,electronically filed, or imported from law enforcement ordistrict attorneys, can be viewed using a case number search.While searches default to the judge’s home county, judgescan perform out-of-county searches for cases anddocuments.

The court official calendar has also been updated for thejudicial dashboard. While day, week and month views ofthe judge’s calendar are still accessible, the dashboardincludes a new statewide calendar so that out-of-countyassignments and out-of-court activities can also beconsidered when scheduling additional court activities.Judges can review any of their scheduled cases by double-clicking on a calendar record associated with a case. For the

first time ever, judges have easy and convenient viewing ofout-of-county documents and case information from a singlesite. And access to electronic documents will continue togrow as more documents are scanned and electronic filing isexpanded across the state.

Electronic signatures Although the ability to electronically sign circuit court

documents has been available for nearly two years, judgesand clerks have found using this feature in the CCAP casemanagement system to be inconvenient. The new dashboardimproves the electronic signing process by calling attentionto pending documents awaiting the judge’s electronicsignature in the Documents to Sign docklet. It also expandsthe use of electronic signatures to out-of-county documents.Using the dashboard, judges can electronically sign or rejectdocuments and include notes or instructions to judicialassistants and clerk staff.

Statistical informationPerformance dashboards are commonly-used management

tools for measuring, monitoring and managing businessprocesses and progress toward goals. The judicialdashboard provides judges with a statistics dockletcontaining three statistical reports: age of pending, clearancerates, and time to disposition. These reports differ from thetraditional statistical reports in that they provide visual, day-at-a-glance perspective into case processing performance.Each report has visible case processing goals, and “drill-down” functionality allows judges to review and analyze thespecific case data comprising the reports. The age of

The Supreme Courttook its show on the

road to West Bend inOctober, hearing threecases in the WashingtonCounty Courthouse,conducting an essaycontest for local fifthgrade students, andparticipating in a luncheonwith the local barassociation.

An estimated 300 peopleturned out to watch theoral arguments, whichwere shuffled at the lastminute when one of theattorneys slated to arguethe first case mistakenlyshowed up at the SupremeCourt Hearing Room inthe state Capitol.

The Supreme Court began taking its proceedings on theroad as a public outreach effort in 1993. The justices nowtravel once per year. The outreach program started as partof an effort to make the Court’s work more accessible to

people in all areas of thestate.

Prior to commencingoral argument at theWashington CountyCourthouse, the Courthonored three local fifthgraders who wrote essaysabout rights that childrenhave – or perhaps shouldhave – under the state andfederal constitutions.

The first-place winnerwas Carson Stingle ofJackson ElementarySchool in West Bend.Stingle wrote about votingrights, and argued forlowering the voting age. Insecond place was Julia R.Brazeau of BartonElementary School in West

Bend. Brazeau wrote about Title IX, the law enacted in1972 that barred gender discrimination in educationprograms. Justice Ann Walsh Bradley served as this year’sessay contest judge. n

Chief Justice Shirley S. Abrahamson presents a plaque to CollinMeyer of Jackson Elementary School in West Bend. Meyer favorsamending the U.S. Constitution to ensure that any person, no matterhow small, may ride on a rollercoaster – specifically, the “coolrollercoaster” at Six Flags. Meyer won third place in the contest.

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Dashboard continued from front page

Justice on Wheels pulls into West Bend

see Dashboard on page 28

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In the fall of 2010, theDirector of State Courts

office held six day-longtraining sessions entitledAvoiding Tragedy: KeepingKids and Victims Safe inFamily Interaction. Thetraining, which reachedabout 200 judges, reservejudges, and circuit courtcommissioners statewide,focused on safe exchangesand visitation in casesinvolving domesticviolence. Sessions were heldin the First and TenthJudicial Districts and jointlyin Districts Two and Three;Four and Eight; Five andSeven; and Six and Nine.

The training was funded by the Children’s CourtImprovement Program and the Violence Against Women ActSTOP Grant. The faculty was comprised of JudgeChristopher R. Foley, Milwaukee County Circuit Court;Judge Dale T. Pasell, La Crosse County Circuit Court;Sandy Stetzer, a visitation center supervisor with theChildren’s Service Society of Wisconsin; and NormaGinther, a former social worker and nationally renownedexpert on child development and attachment.

Topics included a basic introduction to child developmentand attachment, the legal principles of child protection andsafe family interaction, the interplay of domestic violenceand child custody and visitation in family law cases, andresources for safe exchange and visitation.

The faculty used a combination of teaching techniques to

actively engage audiences.Participants were asked tocomplete a pre- and post-assessment to demonstratewhat they learnedthroughout the day. Inaddition to lecturing, thefaculty led large- and small-group discussions andpresented case scenariosthat provided participantsthe opportunity to applywhat they learned tohypothetical situations thatreplicated what they mightsee in court.

Overall, the feedbackfrom participants was verypositive. Eighty-sevenpercent of respondents

rated the training as either “very good” or “excellent” intheir evaluations. Several participants commented that theythought the faculty was “great” and that they enjoyed theinteractive nature of the training.

Judge Foley said safe family interaction is critical to thehealthy development of children who appear in our courts.

“To assure safe family interaction in both child welfareand family law cases, it is imperative that judges, inparticular, and all other involved professionals recognize thesigns of and potential for domestic violence and utilizeeffective strategies to protect children and domestic violencevictims,” Foley said.

“The training was intended to assist all of our judges inboth those regards and, given the investment and input of all

Training promotes safe family interactionsby Amber Peterson, Office of Court Operations

Judicial Administrative Districts 5 and 7 joined forces inSpring Green, Wis. for a day-and-a-half-long judges’

meeting that featured two special programs.On Sept. 30, the Director of State Courts Office presented

Avoiding Tragedy: Keeping Kids and Victims Safe in FamilyInteraction to the judges and guests (see story above). Inattendance were 37 circuit judges, nine reserve judges and10 court commissioners, along with Director of State CourtsA. John Voelker, the district court administrators and tworepresentatives of the Department of Children and Families.

On Friday, Oct. 1, after a round table discussion on suchtopics of current and common concern as the newprovisions governing interlock ignition devices andConsolidated Court Automation Program’s (CCAP’s) newJudicial Dashboard application, Judge Scott W. Horne, LaCrosse County Circuit Court and Judge John C. Albert,Dane County Circuit Court, led a session on the La Crosseexperience with a unified family court and the proposalsbeing explored by Dane County. Dane County District

Attorney Ismael Ozanne and Assistant Corporation CounselEve Dorman were in attendance.

For the majority of the morning, 38 judges took part inthe interactive program presented by the State PublicDefender (SPD) Training Division entitled, People inCrisis. Gina Pruski, SPD Training Director, and her teamled judges through the exercise designed to help participantsbetter understand what it might feel like to live in a low-income family trying to meet basic needs. As noted in theSPD materials, the goal is to have participants experiencesome of the emotional stresses and frustrations created byhaving limited resources and needing to make difficultchoices in order to survive.

In this program, participants were assigned to families andprovided with a set of problems to overcome and assets touse in doing so. The process required participants toprioritize and be creative with the resources they had toaddress unemployment, arrest, eviction, or lack of

Districts host joint meeting, training sessionsby Patrick Brummond and Gail Richardson, District Court Administrators

Faculty for Avoiding Tragedy: Keeping Kids and Victims Safe inFamily Interaction included, from left to right, Sandy Stetzer, JudgeDale T. Pasell, La Crosse County Circuit Court, Norma Ginther, andJudge Christopher R. Foley, Milwaukee County Circuit Court.

see District training on page 27

see Domestic violence training on page 29

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PPAC welcomes new membersThe Supreme Court Planning and Policy Advisory

Committee (PPAC) welcomed four new members since July2010: Chief Judge Darryl W. Deets, Manitowoc CountyCircuit Court; Judge William W. Brash III, MilwaukeeCounty Circuit Court; Atty. Kelli Thompson, WisconsinState Public Defender; and Atty. John Walsh, WisconsinHousing and Economic Development Authority.

Joint meeting with the Supreme CourtIn November, PPAC held a joint meeting with the

Supreme Court. PPAC is to meet annually with theSupreme Court to engage in a full discussion of matters ofmutual concern. PPAC took this as an opportunity to updatemembers of the Court about what has changed since theprior joint meeting in April 2009, specifically, the creationof the Limited Scope Representation Subcommittee,Effective Justice Strategies Subcommittee initiatives, andthe work of the Planning Subcommittee on the Wisconsincourt system Critical Issues and enhanced planningprocesses.

Planning SubcommitteeIn the coming months,

the PPAC PlanningSubcommittee will besaying good-bye to itschair, welcoming a newchair, and welcoming twonew members. Thesubcommittee is sayinggood-bye to current ChairJudge Barbara A. Kluka,Kenosha County CircuitCourt. Kluka led thesubcommittee throughsome unchartered watersand into the developmentof a long-range orenhanced planning processthat the subcommittee isembarking upon for thefirst time this fall. JudgeMichael J. Rosborough,Vernon County CircuitCourt, and a currentsubcommittee member, hasbeen appointed to succeed Kluka. Rosborough’s term aschair begins in January 2011. Judge J.D. McKay, BrownCounty Circuit Court, will also be leaving the subcommitteeat the end of this year.

During the development of the Critical Issues 2010 - 2012report, the Planning Subcommittee gathered the views ofjudges, chief judges, family and circuit court commissioners,clerks of court, registers in probate, district courtadministrators, PPAC, and the State Bar Board ofGovernors. The Planning Subcommittee completed thefeedback loop by furnishing each stakeholder group with asummary of the information that was collected. Eachsummary provides feedback about one issue each particular

stakeholder group felt should be the top priorities of thecourt system for the 2010 - 2012 biennium, how theirpriorities compared to the priorities of the court system asadopted by PPAC, as well as the suggestions they providedas to specific ways the court system might address eachpriority.

In early 2011, the Planning Subcommittee will againengage PPAC in a facilitated session to begin thedevelopment of objectives and detailed action steps. Theobjectives will be then be prioritized and submitted to theDirector of State Court for consideration.

The subcommittee recently began working on an enhancedor long-range strategic plan that will include a review of thecourt system’s mission and vision statements and strategicgoals. Information will be gathered from internal andexternal stakeholders, including the state public defender,district attorneys association, the Wisconsin CountiesAssociation and the public.

Court Security SubcommitteeThe PPAC Subcommittee on Court Security submitted its

final report and recommendations to PPAC in March. PPACmade a number of suggestions and comments which were

taken back to thesubcommittee forconsideration. Thesubcommittee resubmittedthe report andrecommendations to PPACfor approval in August,including the followingrecommendations: l Revise SCR 70.38 –70.39 and create a new andseparate chapter on CourtSecurity and Facilitiesl Revise security andfacility data collectionprocessl Encourage each memberof the judiciary to completea judicial profile and file itwith local law enforcementl Encourage every countyto implement the minimumstandards included in therevision of SCR 70.38 and

70.39l Create an online presence for security and facility

committees to network and share ideasl Encourage a security audit of every courthouse in

WisconsinThe subcommittee is currently drafting a rule petition to

be submitted to the Supreme Court to create a new chapteron court security and facilities.

In partnership with Fox Valley Technical College CriminalJustice Center for Innovation, the Director of State Courtshosted the second annual Court Safety and SecurityConference entitled Maintaining a Safe Courthouse

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PPAC sets priorities, welcomes new membersby Shelly Cyrulik, PPAC Policy Analyst

see PPAC on page 17

Justices Annette Kingsland Ziegler, Patience Drake Roggensackand David T. Prosser (seated closest from right to left), listen todiscussion during a Nov. 4 joint meeting of the Supreme Court andits Planning and Policy Advisory Committee.

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The Chief Justice’s Task Force on Criminal Justice andMental Health has issued a comprehensive assessment

and report of recommendations for improving the criminaljustice system’s response to persons with mental illness.

The report is the result of efforts by an 80-member taskforce appointed by Supreme Court Chief Justice Shirley S.Abrahamson to document existing programs, challenges,gaps and opportunities for improvement in systemicresponses to people with mental illness.

The mental health initiative is part of a national projectdesigned to encourage collaborative efforts and assist statesupreme court chief justices in guiding efforts in their state.Wisconsin was selected to participate through a competitiveprocess overseen by the Council of State Governments’Justice Center.

The task force has disseminated the report statewide toorganizations, governmental units, and interested people aswell as nationally through the National Center for StateCourts and the Justice Center. A copy of the report isavailable on the task force’s web page:www.wicourts.gov/about/organization/programs/altmentalhealth.htm

The report served as a current example of acomprehensive statewide strategic criminal justice/mentalhealth plan at a recent meeting of state court leaders in SaltLake. Abrahamson attended the meeting hosted by theCouncil of State Governments Justice Center to discuss taskforce strategies and programs to determine how the nationalorganizations could collaborate to support the efforts ofsimilar task forces throughout the country

Responses to the report have thanked Abrahamson for herleadership and the task force for its efforts, acknowledgingthe comprehensive compilation of statewide programs andinitiatives, and commending the ongoing nature of theproject.

“Mental illness is on one of the most significantunderlying issues faced by many individuals who becomeinvolved with the court system. This report providesvaluable insight and direction on how to improve ourresponses, not only for the individuals involved, but for theentire criminal justice system,” Abrahamson said when thereport was released.

The task force identifies more than one dozen innovativeprograms that could be expanded or replicated incommunities throughout the state, and recommends almosttwo dozen initiatives for future implementation.

The task force recommendations include: sharinginformation by creating a listserve for local law enforcementand community providers; giving mental health providersaccess to jail booking lists; establishing mobile crisis teamsto help assess crisis situations that may include mentalhealth concerns; determining the service that is needed; anddeveloping universal screening of incarcerated persons.

The report also cites possible barriers to implementationof these initiatives, such as patient confidentiality, housing,funding and the struggle amongst mental health careproviders, law enforcement, and hospital staff over who isresponsible for the care of a person with a mental illness.The task force recommends that courts, law enforcement,service providers, and community leaders leverage existing

resources and diversion alternatives and collaborate inovercoming these barriers and implementing processes thatwill improve responses to persons with mental illnesses.

Chief Justice Abrahamson will convene a small committeeof interested persons to focus on the implementation ofsome of the initiatives highlighted in the report.

Task force members included law enforcement, countyboard members, county executives, legislators, judges,district attorneys, public defenders, Department ofCorrections and Department of Health Services staff, jailadministrators, state mental health directors, local mentalhealth providers, lawyers, non-profit organizations,consumers, hospital administrators and counsel, and mentalhealth advocates.

The Chief Justice’s Criminal Justice Mental HealthLeadership Initiative was established with support from theCouncil of State Governments Justice Center and the Centerfor Mental Health Services’ National GAINS Center, withfunding from the JEHT and Conrad Hilton foundations, aswell as the U.S. Bureau of Justice Assistance.

Current Initiatives:The Task Force recommends expansion and replication of

current programs that are working, consolidation of effortsto fill in the gaps in both the criminal justice and mentalhealth systems, and collaboration to undertake newinitiatives. Many existing services and programs are modelsfor replication and others offer the potential for expansionon a regional basis.

Mobile Crisis Response TeamsCrisis Intervention Programs and Care Facilities Crisis Intervention Team TrainingCrisis Intervention Partners eMail listservContinuity of Care Programs Collaboration of Mental Health and CriminalJustice Systems Problem Solving Courts, Including Mental HealthCourtsMemorandum of Understanding Consent or Release Forms Release Planning and ReentryTools – Screening, Assessment, Jail Standards Audit and Reports

Future Initiatives:The Task Force recommends that courts, law enforcement,

service providers, and community leaders collaborate toidentify at an early stage in criminal proceedings personswith mental illnesses and create new programs whereverpossible, monitoring the results, and communicating toothers.

Mobile Crisis Response Teams and RegionalHealth Hubs Ride-alongs Develop rapport with patientsEducate 911 dispatchersCross Training

Mental health task force issues report by Theresa Owens, Assistant to the Chief Justice

see Report on page 16

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Team attends conference on reducingnumber of children in foster care by Michelle Jensen Goodwin, Director, Children’s Court Improvement Program

The Institute on Safely Reducing the Number of Childrenin Foster Care, sponsored by the National Governors

Association, National Conference of State Legislatures andthe Casey Foundation, was held Sept. 22-24 in St. Paul.

Wisconsin was one of nine states invited to participate inthe conference to learn about Minnesota’s success inreducing the number of children in foster care by 14 percentover a four-year period. Several strategies were highlighted,including the use of: 1) the differential response program toprovide in-home supports to families when the safety of thechildren is not at risk; 2) subsidized guardianship to payrelative caregivers at the same rate as licensed foster homes;and 3) county leadership teams chaired by local judges toaddress practice issues.

Wisconsin attendees included: Rep. Tamara Grigsby, D-Milwaukee; Judge Marshall Murray, Milwaukee CountyCircuit Court; Cyrus Behroozi, division administrator,Department of Children and Families (DCF); John Elliott,senior policy advisor, DCF; Michelle Jensen Goodwin,

Children’s Court Improvement Program director; andDondieneita Fleary-Simmons, bureau director, DCF.

“The information that I and my fellow team memberswere able to gather from the meeting in St. Paul was bothinformative and eye-opening. The team is committed tobring back to Wisconsin some of the ‘best practices’ that theother jurisdictions are using to reduce the number ofchildren in foster care and reduce the amount of time thechildren spend in foster care before reaching permanency,”Murray said.

As a result of attending the institute, Wisconsin isreceiving financial assistance from the Casey Foundation tolearn more about a process currently used in HennepinCounty District Court (Minneapolis, Minn.) where judgesfacilitate administrative meetings to target cases that havebeen in the system the longest. The program is beingevaluated to determine its effectiveness and whether it couldbe adapted for implementation in Wisconsin. n

Deputy clerk’s achievements honoredLinda O’Dell, assistant deputy clerk for the Wisconsin Court of Appeals’

District IV office in Madison, received the lifetime achievement awardfrom the Wisconsin Law Journal during a luncheon award ceremony inMilwaukee on Nov. 12.

In nominating O’Dell for an award, staff attorney Deborah Moritzindicated O’Dell is better than a computer because she does all that andhas a wonderful sense of humor, too.

“She’s able to handle an incredible amount of work and keep track ofeverything,” Moritz explainedto the Law Journal.

“In District IV, we have oneof the heavier caseloads,”Moritz said. “Yet, at anygiven time, Linda can tell youwhere any case is at in theprocess. She processesmotions, answers questions,and reminds us when thingsneed to get done.”

O’Dell has been anemployee of the Wisconsincourt system for the last 30years, starting in AdamsCounty. She’s been in hercurrent job for the last 13years.

She has witnessed anamazing transformation overthe years as technology has

helped courts dispense justice with greater speed and efficiency.“When I started in the late 1970s, we were typing our minutes in the

bound court volumes that were stored nightly in the vault. Now we haveonline dockets and e-filing of briefs — with more changes ahead,” O’Dellsaid. n

AWARDS

Assistant Deputy Clerk of the Court ofAppeals Linda O’Dell received theWisconsin Law Journal’s LifetimeAchievement Award from the Journal’spublisher, Ann Richmond.

Judges from throughout Wisconsin joined toroast and toast Judge Robert G. Mawdsley,former Waukesha County Circuit Courtjudge, who served as dean of the WisconsinJudicial College since 1998. Mawdsley wasreplaced as Dean by Judge Lisa K. Stark,Eau Claire County Circuit Court, who willhead the 2011 Judicial College. Mawdsleywill continue as an instructor at the annualevent.

Former Waukesha judgeroasted and toasted

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Supreme Court Justice Ann Walsh Bradley recentlyappeared as the keynote speaker for the Wisconsin

Chiefs of Police Annual Conference, which drewapproximately 150 police chiefs from around Wisconsin.Giving a historical perspective, she spoke of the struggle forindependence from outside political forces for both chiefs ofpolice and the court system.

Supreme Court Justice PatienceDrake Roggensack attended thegraduation ceremony of the 40thgraduate of the Eau Claire CountyDrug Court on Sept. 29.

She was introduced during ameeting of the drug courttreatment team before theceremony and discussed aspectsof the program with the team.After the ceremony, she met andspoke informally withparticipants, team members andthe graduate.

The justice said she wasimpressed by prepared remarks presented at the ceremonyby the graduate, who had been charged as a seventh offenseoperating a motor vehicle while intoxicated. The graduateexplained how she had been in denial and had blamed othersfor her problems and behavior. Graduating from the drugcourt program gave her a great sense of accomplishment and“another chance at life,” the graduate said.

“It’s an honor and a blessing to be able to stand before youtoday. Graduating is an accomplishment that I’m very proudof. But it’s also a realization of what brought me here in thefirst place. Never forgetting it! The groundwork has beenlaid, and with my constant building on it, I’m leaving herefeeling good about myself. My foundation is solid, and it’sup to me to keep laying the block,” the graduate said.

The Eau Claire County Drug Court’s mission is to“increase community safety and restore sober, productive,and law-abiding citizens to the community by breaking thecycle of drug and alcohol addiction through effective, long-

term treatment with intensivecourt supervision. The courtaccepted its first participants inOctober 2004.

Supreme Court Chief JusticeShirley S. Abrahamson wasParade Marshal for the 2010Middleton Good NeighborFestival parade held on Aug. 29.The theme of this year’s paradewas Endless Summer. The annualfestival takes place on UniversityAvenue, and includes floats, bandsand local organizations.

Chief Judge Richard S. Brown,District II Court of Appeals, was the subject of a featurearticle in the Oct. 11, 2010 National Law Journal. TheJournal outlined the struggles and challenges Brown hasfaced over the years due to hearing loss, and how assistivetechnology has helped him.

Reporter Karen Sloan wrote: “The worst-case scenario

flashed through Richard Brown’smind in 1970, when a doctorinformed him that he was goingdeaf in his left ear… Brownworried that the diagnosis wouldderail his fledgling legal careerand keep him out of thecourtroom. He lost all hearing inhis right ear after a childhoodbout with the measles, and theprospect of complete deafnesswas terrifying.”

The article describes how ahearing aid helped him withclassroom discussions and in hisearly career as an assistant district attorney and in privatepractice in Racine before he was elected to the Court ofAppeals in 1978.

Brown recounted for the Law Journal that he fearedneeded surgery would likely eliminate all the remaininghearing in his left ear. He had a cochlear implant put in hislong unused right ear in 1980, and took lip-reading classesin preparation.

Brown realized after the surgery in 1983 that the implantand his lip-reading skills were effective enough to allow himto follow conversations.

Technology continues to improve and help Brown, whonow uses a system called Computer Assisted RealtimeTechnology (CART), which converts spoken words into texton a computer screen. “He also has a judicial assistant whowas originally trained as a court reporter and is proficient inproviding CART services,” Sloan wrote.

Brown told the Law Journal that CART technologyactually has made him a better judge because he follows oralarguments in detail on screen.

In the Aug. 28 edition of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel,columnist Jim Stingl highlighted the courtroom team ofMilwaukee County Circuit Judge John J. DiMotto, ClerkLucy Listinsky, and Court Reporter Mary Hermann.

The trio has served togethersince DiMotto was first elected20 years ago in a relationship thatStingl dubbed, “rare if notunprecedented in MilwaukeeCounty.”

“In baseball parlance, they nowhave hit for the cycle by workingtogether in every division of thecourt - misdemeanor, felony,small claims, large-claim civil,family, probate and children’s,”Stingl wrote. The team recentlyrotated into children’s court.

DiMotto praised Listinski andHermann, noting that the working relationship has lastedlonger than many marriages.

“I like coming in to work. A large part of that is the factthat I work with Mary and I work with Lucy. They’rewonderful people, and they’re excellent at what they do. In asense, we’re kind of like a shoulder for each other, given

Justice Patience DrakeRoggensack

PEOPLE

see People on page 21

Chief Justice Shirley S.Abrahamson

Chief Judge Richard S.Brown

Judge John J. DiMotto

currently the county’s longest serving court official – retired Dec. 1 after nearly24 years in office.

Munro was originally appointed in 1986 by the late Judges Joseph Schultz andTom Wells and now-retired judge Daniel W. Klossner. Before joining the court,she worked 24 years at the Rasmussen Law Office in Beaver Dam where she wasa legal assistant and learned about the probate system.

Over the years, Munro has earned praise and respect from the people and judgesshe has served. Her extensive knowledge has helped Dodge County become oneof the most efficient register in probate offices in the state, said Chief Judge JohnR. Storck, Dodge County Circuit Court.

“I believe that Kathy is the best register in probate in the State of Wisconsin.She is very knowledgeable on probate law. She has a wonderful ability to assistand encourage lawyers and pro se litigants to process probate mattersappropriately and timely,” Storck said.

Munro said she plans to take some time to assess her next move after workingfull time for 45 years. Activities will include travel to warmer climates, fishing onBeaver Dam Lake and playing cards, she said.

Assistant Register in Probate Lynn Steger will become register in probate.Steger started as assistant register in probate in 1999 and has worked with Munrofor 11 years after 20 years as a legal assistant in private practice. n

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Five Legislative Council study committeesassigned topics related to the courts last spring

are wrapping up work and narrowing downpossible recommendations for legislation. Thecommittees’ work and a host of related documentsand correspondence can be found athttp://legis.wisconsin.gov/lc/index.htm

The Special Committee on Criminal JusticeFunding Strategies, headed by Sen. Lena Taylor,D-Milwaukee, is directed to study funding of thecriminal justice system and strategies toadequately and sustainably fund the criminaljustice system. The study includes consideration offunding for prosecutors, defense attorneys, andcourts and collection of fees and surchargesimposed on criminal defendants. Chief JudgeJeffrey A. Kremers, Milwaukee County CircuitCourt, Deputy Chief Judge Scott Needham, St.Croix County Circuit Court, and MilwaukeeCounty Clerk of Courts John Barrett are committeemembers.

Taylor divided the Special Committee into threesubcommittees to provide more in-depth consideration tothe broad topical scope of the committee. Thesubcommittees cover the following areas: Justice System

Funding, Organization and Strategies; Funding Components;and Courts and Effective Justice Strategies. The threesubcommittees met during October and are scheduled toreport to the full committee at its next meeting in early

Chief Justice Shirley S. Abrahamson testified about the Wisconsin courtsystem before the Joint Legislative Council’s Special Committee onCriminal Justice Funding Strategies during a meeting in August.

Legislative Council Committees narrowingwork on court-related issues

RETIREMENTS continued from page 6

Judge Charles P. Dykman, who retiredfrom the District IV Court of Appeals onJuly 31 (see The Third Branch, spring2010) addresses friends, family andcolleagues at his retirement party July22 in Madison. Speakers at the eventincluded Chief Justice Shirley S.Abrahamson, Justice David T. Prosserand District IV Court of Appeals JudgePaul Lundsten, among others.

see Legislative Council on page 27

Release PlanningFree Calls Video LinksHuman Services’ Web sites and technicalassistanceLiaison Programs Universal screeningDeferred Prosecution Agreements Consider Special Plea

Increase Number of Mental Health CourtConsolidated Court Calendars Accessibility of County Jail Booking Lists Provide Services for Persons with Co-OccurringDisordersInformation about Legal SystemIncrease FundingDevelop Peer Support Network Medication Formularies n

Report continued from page 13

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On Oct. 27-28, at the invitation of Judge Susan B.Carbon, the director of the Office of Violence Against

Women (OVW), I attended a two-day roundtable discussionheld at the White House. The group includedrepresentatives from a wide range of disciplines fromaround the country drawn together to discuss what OVWand the federal government can do about the problem ofsexual assault in our country.

The meeting, and other recent activity discussed below,suggests a new awareness of this pervasive, costly andwildly misunderstood crime. When the Violence AgainstWomen Act was passed in 1994, sexual assault was includedas one of the crimes to be addressed. There is a generalconsensus, even in OVW, that for variety of reasons, sexualassault has not received the same level of attention orfunding as domestic violence. The effect has been thatsexual assault remains tragically prevalent throughout thecountry and resources are scarce. It will take the

commitment of vast resources toimpact the occurrence rate andthe impact of this very seriouscrime.

Other activities whichhopefully indicate a newawareness and willingness toaddress the impact of sexualassault are:

This September, the SenateJudiciary Subcommittee onCrime and Drugs held a hearingentitled Rape in the UnitedStates: The Chronic Failure toReport and Investigate Rape Cases. Chairman Sen. ArlenSpecter (R-Pa.) stated “This is a subject of enormousimportance” and concluded the hearing with a call to action.

Judge Mel Flanagan

White House meeting focuses on sexualviolenceby Judge Mel Flanagan, Milwaukee County Circuit Court

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Community in August. Over 120 attendees representingjudges, law enforcement, clerks of court, tribal court judges,and court and county administrators participated in thisyear’s conference. Work has already begun planning for thenext conference scheduled to be held in March 2012. Forinformation on this year’s conference and more details aboutthe 2012 conference please visit the conference Web site:www.fvtc.edu/CSS

Questions about PPAC and its subcommittees may beaddressed to Shelly Cyrulik in the Office of CourtOperations, (608) 266-8861 ormichelle.cyrulik@wicourts.gov.

Where to find out moreAdditional information on PPAC initiatives and the courtsystem’s critical issues is available in the following sources:

1. The Third Branch(www.wicourts.gov/news/thirdbranch/index.htm) For the past 11 years, our quarterly newsletter The ThirdBranch has run a regular article on PPAC activities. Inaddition, numerous other articles explore initiatives thattouch upon PPAC critical issues.

2. Press releases (www.wicourts.gov/news/headlines.jsp) When the court information officers are told of projects thatrelate to PPAC critical issues and that seem like they couldcapture media attention, they issue an electronic pressrelease and feature it on the courts’ Web page.

3. State of the Judiciary Address(www./wicourts.gov/about/pubs/index.htm) The Chief Justice gives this address at the annual Judicial

Conference. She discusses PPAC’s work in tracking trendsand developing initiatives. Over the past 14 years, she hasgiven updates on the Effective Justice Strategies project,assistance to pro se litigants, courthouse safety, AODA,court interpreters, court funding and so on.

4. PPAC minutesThe minutes from each PPAC meeting, including each of thePPAC-Supreme Court meetings, are available to judges andstaff on our Intranet site, CourtNet. This archive isinvaluable to understanding issues, trends, what’s beingdone and what is planned for the future. The minutes showthe development of PPAC issues.

5. MeetingsPPAC initiatives are discussed at many meetings thatinvolve both judges and court staff, such as districtmeetings. The PPAC stakeholder summaries weredistributed at the recent Judicial Conference in conjunctionwith the PPAC update. Shelly Cyrulik and Erin Slattengrengive updates on AIM and other initiatives at their annualluncheon meeting with the Office of Court Operations andthe justices.

6. Judicial ConferenceSeveral years ago, PPAC requested and received a regulartimeslot every other year on the Judicial Conference agenda.The 2011 conference is a “PPAC year” so this should be agood opportunity to share PPAC news in an engaging way.

Next stepsIn the future, we are also planning an update of the PPACWeb site, and a new, quarterly “micro-newsletter” that willprovide a very brief look at one PPAC hot topic. n

see White House on page 29

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Several Wisconsin counties held events duringSeptember to recognize jurors for their

invaluable service. During 2009, 70,820 peoplereported to Wisconsin courthouses for jury duty,and 20,322 of them served as a juror in one of2,355 trials statewide.

Supreme Court Chief Justice Shirley S.Abrahamson and Justice Ann Walsh Bradleyappeared at events in Milwaukee and Madisonrespectively to thank jurors, their families andemployers. Among other counties that organizedJuror Appreciation Month activities were:Calumet, Eau Claire, Green, Jefferson, Lafayette,Manitowoc, Rock, Sheboygan, Washington andWaukesha.

“Wisconsin jurors are appreciated throughoutthe year for the role they play in protecting theconstitutional rights of all the people of Wisconsinand in keeping our system of justice fair and

impartial,”Abrahamsonsaid.“Septemberhas been set aside toformally recognizejurors – one of thecornerstones of ourdemocracy,” addedAbrahamson, who hastwice served on DaneCounty juries.

The theme ofstatewide JurorAppreciation Month,which is co-sponsoredby the Wisconsin courtsystem and the StateBar of Wisconsin, wasJurors Serve Justice;Justice Serves Us All.

Statewide Juror Appreciation Month was launched in2008, when Gov. Jim Doyle signed a proclamation,Abrahamson signed a declaration, and the Senate andAssembly each approved citations designating the occasion.The statewide program builds on the success of aMilwaukee County juror appreciation program that wasestablished in 2007. Each Wisconsin county marks theoccasion in its own way. Some county boards approvedsupporting resolutions, and local court or county officialsmay make appearances to personally thank jurors for theirservice. Past celebrations also have featured special guestspeakers and even a mock trial held by students todemonstrate the critical role of a juror. Other counties mayhang banners or posters on courthouse walls or offer freecoffee and treats for jurors.

The statewide juror appreciation program was initiated bythe Chief Judges Subcommittee on Juror Treatment andSelection. n

Supreme Court Chief Justice Shirley S. Abrahamson thanks jurors fortheir service during a Juror Appreciation Month celebration in theMilwaukee County Courthouse Rotunda on Sept. 1. Also pictured are (leftto right) Pat Schoen, chair of the Milwaukee Bar courts committee; ChiefJudge Jeffrey A. Kremers, Milwaukee County Circuit Court; CountySupervisor Willie Johnson, Jr; and Clerk of Circuit Court John Barrett.

Wisconsin celebrates juror appreciation month

Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen has distributed$260,000 from Wisconsin’s share of a $570,000 class-

action settlement to help fund adult drug treatment courtprograms in 23 Wisconsin counties.

Wisconsin is one of 22 states receiving part of a largersettlement with several vitamin manufacturers accused of aprice-fixing conspiracy for vitamins sold between 1988 and2000.

Twenty-one Wisconsin counties each receivedapproximately $10,000 to help support drug courtoperations. (see list below). Drug treatment courts inMilwaukee County and Dane County each receivedapproximately $25,000 to continue to expand drug treatmentoptions and to provide for testing support and community-based options for drug offenders.

Van Hollen announced that nearly $300,000 of the state’s

total distribution from the settlement will go toward Badgersfor Baseball and its Healthy Choices, Healthy ChildrenProgram. That program includes lessons on good nutritionand the value of physical exercise.

Counties each receiving approximately $10,000:BarronBrownBurnettChippewaDouglas Dunn Eau ClareJacksonKenosha La Crosse Outagamie

PiercePolk Racine RockSawyerSt. CroixTrempealeau Washburn Winnebago Wood n

Drug courts receive boost

Justice Ann Walsh Bradley holdsa proclamation declaringSeptember as Juror AppreciationMonth in Wisconsin. Bradleyspoke at a Juror AppreciationMonth celebration at the DaneCounty Courthouse on Sept. 13.

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Marquette University Law School’s new Ray and Kay Eckstein Hall.

Archbishop Timothy Dolan of New York, left,blessed Marquette University’s new buildingduring a dedication ceremony on Sept. 8.Pictured with Dolan, left to right are WisconsinSupreme Court Chief Justice Shirley S.Abrahamson, U.S. Supreme Court JusticeAntonin Scalia, and Marquette University LawSchool Dean Joseph D. Kearney.

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia gave the keynote address atthe Sept. 8 dedication ceremony of the new $85 million Ray and Kay

Eckstein Hall, the new home of the Marquette University Law School. Allseven Wisconsin Supreme Court justices attended the ceremony at whichWisconsin Supreme Court Chief Justice Shirley S. Abrahamson also spoke.

The state-of-the-art law school was made possible by a $51 million giftfrom the Ecksteins, Marquette alumni from Cassville, Wis. The law schoolfeatures its own cafeteria, a fitness center, theater-style classroom seatingand a chapel. n

Teachers become students at instituteTwenty-two middle school and high school

teachers from 10 Wisconsin countiesparticipated in the 2010 Justice TeachingInstitute Oct. 28-29 in Madison. The two-dayworkshop gave the educators a variety of newtools for teaching about the courts and thejustice system. Teachers examined methods forteaching constitutional principles on issuesbeing debated in society, voted on by thepeople and legislatures, and argued in courtcases. The conference stressed innovativeteaching methods teachers can use immediatelyin the classroom.

Wisconsin Supreme Court Chief JusticeShirley S. Abrahamson and Justice N. PatrickCrooks presented at the institute. Other facultyincluded UW Law School Professor LindaGreene, UW-Madison School of EducationProfessor Diana Hess, Assistant State PublicDefender Ellen Henak, and Assistant AttorneyGeneral Thomas J. Balistreri.

The institute is a joint effort by the State Barof Wisconsin’s Law-Related EducationCommittee, the Wisconsin Supreme Court, theUW Department of Curriculum and Instruction,the Wisconsin Law Foundation, and theWisconsin Municipal Judges Association. EightUW-Madison School of Education students alsoparticipated in this year’s institute. n

More information can be found at: Law-relatedEducation | State Bar of Wisconsinwww.wisbar.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Law_related_education

With encouragement from a group of UW-Madison School of Educationstudents, Justice Ann Walsh Bradley plays one of the online interactivegames on iCivics.org. Bradley demonstrated the games for teachers duringa reception for teachers at the Justice Teaching Institute in Madison Oct.28. Wisconsin is one of many states promoting the use of iCivics.org tohelp reinvigorate civics education.

Supreme Court Justice N. Patrick Crooks speaks to educators and educationstudents at the Justice Teaching Institute.

Marquette University opens new law school

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right looks like,” Rock County Circuit Court Judge James P.Daley told the Janesville Gazette.

Daley shared a piece of advice Farnum once gave himafter Daley was appointed to the bench:

“Understand that people sentence themselves. Theysentence themselves with their body of history, andespecially with the latest crime they committed. It isn’t youthat sentences them.”

Farnum retired in 1988, but continued to serve as a reservejudge in the Fifth Judicial District.

Dane County Circuit Court Judge Daniel R. Moeser knewFarnum as a circuit court judge, and later as a reserve judge.

“There wasn’t a better judge in the state of Wisconsinduring my years. He combines intelligence, common senseand grace,” Moeser told the Gazette.

According to the Gazette, when Moeser asked him abouthis plans to slow down after retirement, Farnum told him,“If you don’t do this a lot, you lose your touch, and I don’twant to lose my touch. This is all too important.”

Farnum is survived by his wife, Barbara; eight children;22 grandchildren; and 12 great-grandchildren.

Judge Gerald “Jerry” W. JaeckleRock County CircuitCourt

Former Rock County CircuitCourt Judge Gerald “Jerry” W.Jaeckle passed away on Aug. 9.He was 82.

Jaeckle was elected to theRock County bench in 1976, andserved until his retirement in1992. He then served as areserve judge until 2002. Whileon the circuit court bench,Jaeckle served as deputy chiefjudge of the Fifth JudicialDistrict and on the Civil JuryInstruction Committee and the Uniform Bond Committee.He taught law courses at UW-Madison and with theWisconsin Judicial Education program.

A graduate of UW Law School, Jaeckle served in theKorean War after receiving his law degree. According to hisobituary in the Janesville Gazette, after serving in the 207thMilitary Police Company and as assistant Provost Marshal,he worked in private practice in Beloit. In 2003, he wasrecognized as a 50 year member of the State Bar ofWisconsin.

“He was very intelligent,” former Rock County CircuitCourt Judge Michael Byron told the Gazette. “He also wasvery good at working with people.”

Stan Milam, who was news director at WCLO in 1976 andcovered the courthouse, remembers Jaeckle presiding over amurder trial soon after he took the bench. In a story he wrotefor the Gazette, Milam recounted the Solles-Drenning trial,where two Janesville residents were charged with shooting agas station attendant.

“I don’t care how long this takes, but I’m not going tomiss my daughter’s wedding” Jaeckle said at one pointduring the trial, according to Milam’s Gazette article.

According to an obituary, he was a devoted husband,father and grandfather who also loved golf and Badgerfootball.

Jaeckle is survived by his wife, Joanne; three daughters;11 grandchildren; and one great-grandchild.

Judge David V. JenningsMilwaukee CountyCircuit Court

Judge David V. Jennings, whoserved on the Milwaukee CountyCircuit Court from 1966 until1992, passed away on Aug. 3 atthe age of 89.

“It can be said withoutcontradiction that Jennings is theonly judge in Milwaukee Countywho starts three mornings aweek on the back of a horseleaping over split-rail fences,”writer William Janz wrote in theMilwaukee Sentinel in 1971,according to Jennings’ obituary.

A member of the Mill Creek Hunt Club in Illinois,Jennings had a life-long love of horseback riding, andcontinued to ride until he was 80.

Jennings enlisted the day after the attack on Pearl Harbor,and served in the Pacific. He served with the Naval ReserveJudge Advocate General’s Corps until 1981. After receivinghis law degree from Marquette University in 1948, Jenningsworked in private practice until his appointment to thecircuit court bench by Gov. Warren Knowles. After hisretirement, he served as a reserve judge until 2002.

Jennings was known for his sense of humor and storytelling, in and out of the courtroom.

“He was probably one of the biggest, if not the biggest,character in the courthouse,” Milwaukee County CircuitCourt Judge Dennis P. Moroney told the Milwaukee JournalSentinel. “He walked to his own drum.”

Jennings is survived by his wife, Margaret; 11 children;grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Judge John E. McCormick Milwaukee County Circuit Court

Former Milwaukee CountyCircuit Court Judge John E.McCormick passed away on Nov.26 at the age of 86.

McCormick’s 32 years on theBranch 19 bench made him thelongest-serving circuit courtjudge in Wisconsin. Firstappointed by then-Gov. PatrickLucey in 1972, McCormick wonsix elections to the bench,including a 1999 defeat of JamesT. Flynn, a former lieutenantgovernor. According to an

Judge David V. Jennings

Judge Gerald “Jerry” W.Jaeckle

OBITUARIES continued from page 8

Judge John E.McCormick

see Obituaries on page 28

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PEOPLE continued from page 15

what we see on a daily basis,” the newspaper quotedDiMotto as saying.

Likewise, Listinski and Hermann heaped praise onDiMotto: “He’s a nice guy, and I really don’t think anyoneelse would put up with me,” Listinsky laughed.

Social media in the courtroom was the focus of a story onWQOW in Eau Claire. “In thisday of social interactions, somany people can put their twocents in and it’s really unfair tothe parties because whensomebody is a juror, they take anoath that they’re going to decidethe case solely on the evidenceand based solely upon them thelaw that’s been given to them,”Eau Claire County Circuit courtJudge William M. Gabler toldthe station.

In Eau Claire County, jurorsare instructed to turn in their cell phones before thebeginning of the trial to avoid these problems. Gabler toldthe station that he is not aware of any problems in hiscounty with social media in the juror box, but has heard thereports of other incidents around the country.

Gabler told the station that he does believe sometechnology has been beneficial to the courts, such as theability to live stream trials, which allows more people toview the process.

Milwaukee County Circuit Court judges MarshallBertram Murray and Mary Triggiano sat down to discussthe handling of child welfare cases involving neglect orabuse with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s editorial board

Nov. 3. Excerpts from their comments

were featured in a Q & A-formatarticle published online Nov. 13and run on the front of the“Crossroads” section Nov. 14.Murray is the presiding judge ofthe childrens court; Triggiano isits former presiding judge.

The article is part of thenewspaper’s ongoing coverage ofchild welfare issues since thebeating death of a 13-month-oldboy in foster care in 2008. Thecase and subsequent coverageraised questions about theeffectiveness of MilwaukeeCounty’s child welfare systemand its ability to protect children.

Murray discussed parentalrights and the process by whichchildren who were detained fortheir own safety are reunifiedwith parents. Many cases involveparents with mental health issuesor drug and alcohol abuse, andpoverty can be a factor, Murraytold the newspaper.

Triggiano said in deciding cases, the court focuses on thesafety of the children, permanency and well-being.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that theWaukesha County Alcohol Treatment Court has beenawarded a $1.2 million, three-year federal grant from theDepartment of Justice and U.S. Department of Health andHuman Services. The grant will help the program pay fortwo more case managers, as well as provide substance abuseand mental health treatment for participants who cannotafford it.

The program, which was the first in the state when itbegan in 2006, has had 115 graduates to date. Of these, theJournal Sentinel reports that only 10 have reoffended.

Previously only offenders facing their third OWI offensehave been eligible for the program. The grant will allow theprogram to expand to those facing their fourth offense.

“We will be working with 50 additional fourth-OWI’s peryear over three years,” Rebecca Luczaj, coordinator for theCriminal Justice Coordinating Council told the JournalSentinel.

Dodge County Circuit CourtJudge Brian Pfitzinger was ableto fulfill a campaign promisewhen his county’s alcohol courtbegan in September.

“One concern I have, and hadmade it an issue when runningfor office in 2008, was to get tothe heart of the operating whileunder the influence of anintoxicant,” Pfitzinger told theWatertown Daily Times. “Andwhat part of the sentence will gotowards solving the problem.”

The new specialty court, based on the alcohol court run inWaukesha County, was possible thanks to the new OWIlegislation and a coordinator who has volunteered to overseethe program. As of October, there were six alcohol courts inWisconsin.

The new laws, which took effect in July, allow courts tooffer the option of treatment instead of a harsher sentencefor individuals convicted of second and third offense OWI.The possibility of a harsher sentence gives offenders anincentive to choose the alcohol court option.

“If you don’t choose Alcohol Court, you’re going to seesignificantly higher jail time and other enhancer penalties,”Pfitzinger told the Fond du Lac Reporter. “The courts in thiscounty have made a commitment to this, and we’ve put a lotmore teeth into the price of not participating.”

While the county board approved the program, they werenot able to approve the funding Pfitzinger requested. A largeportion of the budget he requested would have gone towardshiring a coordinator to run the program. Fortunately,Reeseville resident Ken Lindegarde has agree to coordinatethe program free of charge. Lindegarde has also applied fora grant from the Bureau of Justice Assistance that wouldhelp fund the court over a three-year period.

Lindegarde, who will work with various agencies andprovide participant progress updates to the court, iscommitted to the program because of the adverse effects he

Judge William M. Gabler

Judge Marshall BertramMurray

Judge Mary Triggiano see People on page 22

Judge Brian Pfitzinger

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has seen alcohol abuse have on youth.“If we can have a successful outcome with our court like

they do in Waukesha County, Alcohol Court might have ashot at reducing some of the problems we have with ouryouths due to alcohol,” Lindegarde told the Fond du LacReporter.

District I Court of Appeals Judge Kitty K. Brennan andWaukesha County Circuit Court Judge William J. Domina

both recently found themselves inthe hot seat while beingquestioned for the Wisconsin LawJournal’s Asked and Answered.

Brennan spoke about herappreciation for having the timeand resources as a appellate judgeto do “proper legal analysis.” Shealso had advice for attorneys tobuild their reputations andrelationships, learn the businessof legal practice and not bearrogant. When asked who shewould like to trade places withfor a day, Brennan answered:“Rather than world leaders ormovie stars or astronauts, I wouldlike to trade places with anordinary woman my age in atotally different culture. I’d liketo see what the world looks likefrom the perspective of a womanin Kigali, Sydney, Lima orRome.”

Domina told the Law Journalthat he could see Drew Carey orJohn Houseman playing him in amovie of his life. But he admits

his children might think Chris Farley was a better choice.He said he believes attorneys need to have a sense of humor,civility in the courtroom, and a proper dress code. He saidone of his pet peeves is people thinking it’s okay to wearshorts in the courtroom. Domina replied, “Watching my kidsparticipate in school activities,” when asked what made himmost happy.

Milwaukee Circuit Court JudgeCarl Ashley received praise froma former juror in a lettersubmitted to the MilwaukeeJournal Sentinel.

“I need to express howimpressed I was with howthorough, caring and concernedAshley was for everyone presentin that court – from the courtreporter to the defendant to thewitnesses to the lawyers and towe the jurors,” Gloria JeanBecker wrote.

Although she was not initially excited about being calledto serve on a jury, Becker wrote that she was proud to havedone her duty, and appreciated the gratitude Ashley showedthe jurors by personally taking time to thank each one after

the trial, and later sending a thankyou letter in the mail.

“Thanks to Ashley for being theconscientious and dedicatedpublic servant that he is,” Beckerwrote.

Jared Hassin, son ofWaukesha County Circuit CourtJudge Donald J. Hassin Jr., ismaking headlines and highlightreels as a standout fullback forArmy’s Black Knights footballteam.

The 6-foot-3, 235-poundyounger Hassin’saccomplishments were highlighted in the Nov. 5 New YorkTimes’ College Football section and in a recent CBS CollegeSports Network special on military academy cadets.

Although his military career started at the Air ForceAcademy, Jared Hassin switched academies, and now iscarrying on a family tradition at Army, The Times reported.Jared’s grandfather was among those who landed on OmahaBeach on D-Day as a second lieutenant with the 29thInfantry. Jared’s father was an Army Ranger and a captainwho served in Vietnam before becoming a colonel in theArmy National Guard.

Jared Hassin is credited in part for Army’s success thisyear and leading the team toward a winning season, whichhadn’t happened since 1996. At the time the article waspublished, Hassin averaged 6.1 per carry and had run for 8touchdowns. He also was listed as Army’s second-leadingreceiver with nine catches for 127 yards.

Hassin’s number 7 jersey also has family significance.The jersey number dates to when he was eight years old andgrowing up in Wisconsin, The Times reported.

Christine J. Willette, a Wisconsin freelance courtreporter and owner of Willette Court Reporting, LLC inRothschild, Wis., has been appointed director of theNational Court Reporters Association (NCRA). Willette hasbeen a member of NCRA, which represents court reportersthroughout the U.S., since 1984. She is a past president ofthe Wisconsin Court Reporters Association and is aRegistered Professional Reporter (RPR), Certified RealtimeReporter (CRR) and Certified CART Provider (CCP).

Eau Claire County CircuitCourt Judge Paul J. Lenz co-authored an article in the July-August edition of the AmericanBar Association’s Mental Healthand Physical Disability LawReporter.

The article examines the extentto which persons with seriousmental illness are in jail or prisonrather than in mental healthhospitals.

Lenz wrote extensively on thedevelopment and processes usedby the Eau Claire County Mental Health Court and how ithas been cost-effective and reduced recidivism. Lenz

see People on page 23

Judge Carl Ashley

Judge Kitty K. Brennan

Judge William J. Domina

Judge Donald J. Hassin Jr.

Judge Paul J. Lenz

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estimates that, if not for the program, the participantswould have been incarcerated 3,010 days more thanthey were actually incarcerated over the past two years,equating to 8.25 years or about $235,000 (8.25 years X$28,500 annual cost). By contrast, the cost to operatethe mental health court program is about $92,000annually.

Lenz wrote that without the program, Eau ClaireCounty’s first participant would have been sent toprison for two years, which would have cost about$57,000.

“Instead, approximately $4,000 of in kind and actualservices was provided to him, and he completed theprogram in 14 months. He was reunited with hisfamily, his mental condition has stabilized withmedications, and he has had no criminal convictionssince his admission to and completion of the program.During the three years prior to his admission to theprogram, he had 17 convictions….”

In the three years prior to admission into the mentalhealth court program, the participants had a total of83 arrests. In the two years following admission,those same participants had a total of 12 arrests,according to Lenz.

On. Sept. 26, the Beaver Dam Daily Citizen newspaperpublished a feature article highlighting an unusual socialevent sponsored by the Dodge County Bar Association —“Schuetzenfest,” a friendly shooting competition at theColumbus Sportsmans Association.

Correspondent Paul Marose led his story with this:Schuetzenfest: German for “shooting match.”Rechtsanwalt: German for “lawyer.”

Put them togetherand you getGemuetlichkeit: agood time had byall.

On Sept. 15, forthe eighth year in arow, Dodge Countylawyers, judges andfriends of the courtgathered to take potshots at targets -instead of eachother - at the annualDodge County BarAssociationSchuetzenfest.”

Dodge CountyFamily CourtCommissioner JoeSciascia organizesthe event, which hasgrown from threeparticipants duringits first year to 33participants thisyear.

Dodge County Circuit Court Judges Andrew P.Bissonnette and Brian A. Pfitzinger, and Chief Judge John

Storck participated. Bissonnette managed at least one holein the three-quarter-inch center circle from 200 yards,Marose wrote.

Sciascia provided his antique rifle for the Billy DixonBuffalo Rifle Shoot, a portion of the fest that putcompetitors behind the sights of his Sharps 1874, caliber 45-70 rifle as competitors took aim at a buffalo-silhouette targetlocated 200 yards downrange.

Other events included:• The “Annie Oakley,” which featured .22-

caliber, rimfire rifle shots at metal animalsilhouettes;

• A “William Tell” shoot, in which rifles weretrained on the face of Mad Magazine’s Alfred E.Neuman posing with an apple atop his head.

Shooters got one point for each of their five shots thatstruck the apple and were penalized one point for every shotthat hit Alfred.

Al Spiegel, a former Waupun attorney, won the matchwith three apple shots.

The Wisconsin Law Journal reported in late August thatrepair work on the Milwaukee County Courthouse wasbeing accelerated due to concerns about public safety.

Milwaukee County Executive and Governor-Elect ScottWalker announced that Milwaukee County will shift$350,000 in courthouse maintenance money from the 2011budget to get the work done this fall.

The change to the project timeline stems from an insurancecompany’s concern about freeze-thaw damage to thecourthouse. The insurance company began investigating thecourthouse at the county’s request after a piece of cornicefell from the building in March. No one was injured.

Chris Wetzel, Judicial District 10 job-share court reporter,participated in the Highground Veteran’s Memorial BicycleRide Fundraiser Aug. 6-8. The 170-mile ride from Haywardto Neillsville was held to raise money for a memorial forWisconsin veterans who died in Iraq, Afghanistan andDesert Storm, including Wetzel’s son, Paul Sturino. TheHighground memorial is located in Neillsville. n

Shooting instructor Steve Allermann, ofthe Dodge County Sheriff’sDepartment, helps Dodge CountyCircuit Judge Andrew P. Bissonnetteadjust his aim Sept. 15 at the eighthannual Dodge County Bar AssociationSchuetzenfest in Columbus, Wis.

Juneau Attorney Joe Sciascia, organizer of the eighth annual DodgeCounty Bar Association Schuetzenfest, stands by as Dodge CountyCircuit Judge Brian A. Pfitzinger takes aim through the sights ofSciascia’s antique Sharps rifle Sept. 15 in Columbus.

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WISCONSIN CONNECTS

Judges from Milwaukee and St. Croix counties wereselected to travel to The Hague this fall to participate in

an international judicial conference. The group includedDeputy Chief Judge Scott R. Needham, St. Croix CountyCircuit Court; and Judges David L. Borowski and Jeffrey A.Conen, Milwaukee County Circuit Court; along with Courtof Appeals Judge Joan F. Kessler of Milwaukee.

The judges took part in the Sir Richard May InternationalCourts Conference, named for a judge who presided inseveral high-profile war crimes trials at the InternationalCriminal Tribunal at The Hague. The event was held Sept.26-Oct. 1.

The program gave the Wisconsin judges an internationalperspective on civil and criminal procedure and sentencing.The group also learned about the unique challenges facingthe world court, where war crimes tribunals are held. Thesechallenges include witness protection and relocation, theneed to have proceedings translated into at least threedifferent languages (English, French and the native tongueof the witness), and the blending of legal systems fromaround the world.

The judges observed proceedings at the Yugoslav WarCrimes Tribunal, the Sierra Leone War Crimes Court, andthe Iran-United States Claims Tribunal, and met withprosecutors, defense attorneys and judges from a number ofdifferent courts. The seminar included tours of the

International Peace Palace, Europol, the Organization forthe Prevention of Chemical Weapons and the InternationalCourt of Arbitration. The group attended a reception hostedby U.S. Ambassador to the Netherlands Fay Hartog Levin atthe Ambassador’s home. n

Four Wisconsin judges met with the U.S. Ambassador to theNetherlands during a recent judicial conference at TheHague. Pictured (left to right): Milwaukee County CircuitCourt Judge Jeffrey A. Conen; guests Leanne Walker andJean Needham; St. Croix County Circuit Court Judge ScottR. Needham, Ambassador Fay Hartog Levin; Court ofAppeals Judge Joan F. Kessler; and Milwaukee CountyCircuit Court Judge David L. Borowski.

Four Wisconsin judges selected forconference at The Hague

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Chief Judge John R. Storck,Dodge County Circuit

Court, was elected in August toserve as “chief of the chiefs,” orchair of the committee of 10chief judges. Each chief judge isselected by the WisconsinSupreme Court to help overseeadministrative issues in each ofthe state’s 10 judicial districts.

Storck replaces as chair, ChiefJudge J. Mac Davis, WaukeshaCounty Circuit Court, whocompleted his one-year termheading the committee.

Storck was first elected to the Dodge County CircuitCourt in 1995, and re-elected in 2001 and 2007. He hasserved as Chief Judge for the Sixth Judicial District since2006.

“I am honored to have been selected by my colleagues tolead this committee, which plays a key role in keepingWisconsin courts running smoothly,” Storck said. “We’llcontinue to work towards making our courts more effective,given the resources available.”

Storck has served as an associate dean for the WisconsinJudicial College and on the Judicial Education Committee.He has helped create a digital audio recording program inDodge County to produce court records when the countydoes not have access to a court reporter. nChief Judge John R.

Storck

Judge Storck elected ‘chief of chiefs’

The Milwaukee Justice Center (MJC) celebrated thelaunch of their self-help Web site on Oct. 4. The Web

site extends the services the center has offered to self-represented litigants since 2009.

“By centralizing this information online, county residentswho are unable to come to the MJC during operationalhours will still be able to access the vital information, formsand step-by-step checklists from a home computer or locallibrary,” Milwaukee County Clerk of Circuit Court JohnBarrett said in a press release. “Every year, thousands ofpeople receive help at the Milwaukee Justice Center and

now, with this website, we are able to expand this essentialservice beyond the walls of the courthouse.”

The Web site offers information and resources on divorce,child support, custody, small claims, foreclosure, landlord-tenant issues, Chapter 128, and name changes. Informationon the MJC, annual reports, testimonials and volunteeropportunities can also be found on the Web site.

The MJC is a combined effort of the Milwaukee BarAssociation, Milwaukee County, and Marquette UniversityLaw School. More information can be found at:www.milwaukeejusticecenter.com. n

Milwaukee County launches self-help Web site

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demonstrated that he has what it takes to be an excellentjudge,” Doyle said in a press release. “His commitment,experience and sense of fairness will serve the people ofWinnebago County well.”

Judge Todd K. MartensWashington County Circuit Court

Former Washington CountyDistrict Atty. Todd Martens wasappointed to fill the vacancy ofWashington County Circuit CourtJudge David C. Resheske, whoretired from the bench (see TheThird Branch, summer 2010).

“Todd Martens has been servingthe citizens of Washington Countyfor years, and I am confident hewill continue to serve withdistinction,” Doyle said in a pressrelease. “He has the intellect andtemperament to be a greataddition to the bench.”

Martens, whose term began on Aug. 17, graduated fromUW-Madison and Harvard Law School. Prior to beingelected district attorney, he worked as deputy districtattorney and assistant district attorney for WashingtonCounty, and in private practice.

“I thank Governor Doyle for appointing me to thisposition,” Martens said in a press release from thegovernor’s office. “I promise to serve Washington County asa hardworking, fair and ethical judge.”

Martens lives in Germantown with his wife and daughter.

Judge James PourosWashington County Circuit Court

“Jim Pouros’ experience andqualifications will make him anexcellent judge,” Doyle said in apress release about the newlyappointed Washington CountyCircuit Court judge. “He isprepared for this challenge, and Ibelieve he will serve WashingtonCounty well.”

Pouros was appointed on Aug.16 to fill the vacancy created bythe retirement of Judge Patrick J.Faragher (see The Third Branch,summer 2010).

“I am honored and humbled tobe appointed by the governor,” Porous said in the pressrelease. “I look forward to working hard for the people ofWashington County.”

Porous received his bachelor’s degree from UW-Milwaukee and his law degree from Marquette UniversityLaw School.

Porous, who served in the U.S. Army, worked in privatepractice before his appointment to the bench. He and hiswife have two sons and live in West Bend.

Judge Kathleen StillingWaukesha County Circuit Court

Doyle has appointed KathleenStilling to fill the vacancy on theWaukesha County Circuit CourtBranch 4 bench. The vacancy wascreated by Judge Paul F. Reilly’selection to the Court of Appeals(see The Third Branch, spring2010).

Stilling has worked in privatepractice and in the State PublicDefender’s Office sincegraduating from UW-Madison andUW Law School. She is amember of the Waukesha CountyBar Association, the State Bar Association, and theAssociation for Women Lawyers.

“I have tremendous confidence in Kathy Stilling,” Doylesaid in a press release. “Her commitment to justice, fairnessand respect is unparalleled.”

“I thank Governor Doyle for this opportunity,” Stillingsaid in the governor’s press release. “I feel privileged toserve the wonderful people of Waukesha County as a circuitcourt judge.”

Stilling lives in Brookfield with her husband and their twochildren.

Judge Angela W. SutkiewiczSheboygan County Circuit Court

Judge Angela Sutkiewicz’s appointment to the Branch 3bench made her the first womanon the Sheboygan CountyCircuit Court. She filled thevacancy created by Judge GaryJ. Langhoff’s retirement (seeThe Third Branch, summer2010).

Sutkiewicz is a graduate ofBarnard College at ColumbiaUniversity and MarquetteUniversity Law School. She haspreviously served as assistantdistrict attorney in WalworthCounty and in private practice.

“Angela Sutkiewicz is acommitted member of the Sheboygan County community,”Doyle said in a press release. “She is experienced,thoughtful and fair, and I expect her to be an outstandingaddition to the judiciary.”

Sutkiewicz is a member of the Wisconsin Crime VictimsRights Board and City of Sheboygan Police and FireCommission. She has volunteered with the Mock TrialTournament and Law Day.

“It is an honor and a privilege to accept this appointmentfrom Governor Doyle,” she said in the governor’s pressrelease. “I look forward to serving the people of SheboyganCounty and judging each matter before me with respect,integrity and fairness.”

Sutkiewicz lives in Sheboygan with her husband and theirthree children. n

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Judge James Pouros

Judge Kathleen Stilling

Judge Angela W.Sutkiewicz

Judge Todd K. Martens

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highlights of her career was testifying before the SupremeCourt while rules were being proposed to allow for e-filingof court documents.

Deiss played a key role in the planning and constructionof the new Washington County justice facility, whichopened about four years ago. Ziegler said Deiss was criticalin helping guide the process and keeping judges informedduring planning and construction.

Theresa Russell, a Republican with 20 years’ experiencein the clerk’s office, was elected to replace Deiss.

Claudia SingletonJackson County Clerk of Court

After almost 36 years of working for Jackson County,Clerk of Court Claudia Singleton decided not to seekanother term.

Singleton first served as register in probate under JudgeLouis Drecktrah from1974 to 1981, when she became clerk.

“This has been one of the most difficult decisions I haveever made. I can’t express in words what an honor it hasbeen for me to serve as your clerk of court for the past 29years. I’d like to thank all of the voters for continuing toelect me,” Singleton said in announcing her retirement.

Singleton said she still loves her job but feels ready forsome new and different challenges. She also has workedwith many wonderful people over the years, Singleton said.

The most challenging part of the job is the continualchange, especially technology. However, it’s also the mostfascinating part of the job. When she first started, the clerk’soffice still used a manual typewriter. We now havecomputers, electronic filing, scanning and videoconferencing, Singleton said.

Singleton was a past secretary for the Clerk of Court’sAssociation and a member of the Executive Committee andLegislative Committee for the Clerk of Court’s Association.She was appointed to serve on the OAR/OWI Task Forceand Public Trust and Confidence in the Court SystemCommittee. She attended training for court security andassisted in training county employees in this area. She hasalso been a member of the CCAP Steering Committee sinceits implementation.

Living through two complete office moves and onecomplete office renovation were among the greatestchallenges since taking office, Singleton said in herannouncement.

Singleton is a member of the State Bar of Wisconsin’sPublic Trust and Confidence Committee and a member ofthe Coordinated Community Response Team for DomesticAbuse.

She plans to travel, take some interesting classes, exercisemore, spend more time with friends and family, and make areally big “to-do list” for her husband John, Singleton said.

Deputy Clerk of Court Jan Moennig ran unopposed in thegeneral election after defeating Terri Goettl in theDemocratic primary. Moennig has worked as the deputyclerk of court for more than 10 years.

Diane Perkins Grant County Clerk of Circuit Court

Grant County Clerk of Circuit Court Diane Perkins did

not seek re-election and will retire in January after 39 yearsin office, including eight years as deputy clerk and 31 aschief clerk.

Perkins was featured earlier this year in the DubuqueTelegraph-Herald, which noted she began her career in theclerk of courts office at the age of 19 in 1971.

“I decided it was time to hang it up, get some new bloodin here and enjoy retirement while I still had my health,”Perkins told the Telegraph-Herald.

Perkins will be living the leisurely life, according to theTelegraph-Herald: “Everybody asks me what I'm going todo,” she said. “I want to get bored. I want to see what itfeels like to be bored.”

Perkins was appointed clerk in 1978 to finish the term ofRuth Irwin, who died in office. In addition to her otherduties, Perkins helped oversee the county’s transition toCCAP that was initiated in 1993.

Kimberly Kohn, a Republican of Platteville and a deputyclerk, ran unopposed in November and will become clerk.Kohn has worked in the clerk of courts office since May of1998.

In Trempealeau County, Democrat MichelleWeisenberger defeated incumbent Clerk of Circuit CourtAngeline Sylla, a Republican. Sylla served 20 years as clerkof circuit court.

Sylla noted some of her office’s recent accomplishmentsduring the campaign, including the implementation ofonline fee payment through CCAP and the acceptance ofonline filing for some documents. Sylla said she alsoimproved access to interpreters and improved a financialaccounting system that tracks more than $1.2 million in feescollected by the clerk’s office.

In Barron County, Judith Wells Espeseth, who served asthe Barron County clerk of circuit court for 17 years, did notseek re-election. Espeseth had sought to represent the 75thState Assembly District but was defeated in a primary byRoger Rivard, who won the seat during the general electionNov. 2. Sharon Millermon, who now serves as deputy chiefclerk of circuit court, was elected to replace Espeseth asclerk.

Jeffrey Schmidt was defeated by Mary Lou Mueller forthe Ozaukee County clerk of courts position. Schmidt hadheld the position since 1998. Mueller previously served asthe Ozaukee County register in probate.

In Waushara County, Melissa Zamzow replaces JanePutskey as clerk of circuit court. Putskey had been in theposition for 14 years.

In Brown County, incumbent Clerk Lisa Wilson, aDemocrat, was defeated by Jason Beck, a Republican.Wilson will have served one term in the post when Becktakes over in January.

Brenda Behrle, who defeated challenger Deb Shawl, is thenew Oneida County clerk of courts. Behrle had defeatedincumbent Clerk of Court Gina Olson in the primaryelection. Olson had held the position for two years. Behrleworked as an administrative assistant with Ministry MedicalGroup in Rhinelander prior to her election. n

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December. Sen. Taylor has informed committee membersthey are likely to wrap up their work in January or earlyFebruary.

Four other Legislative Council Committees are examiningissues related to the courts.

The Special Committee on Judicial Discipline andRecusal, headed by Rep. Gary Hebl, D-Sun Prairie, recentlycompleted its work and recommended two legislativeproposals. The committee was directed to: (a) review thecurrent method by which justices and judges are disciplined;(b) examine alternative methods of judicial discipline,including methods of judicial discipline in other states andin the federal court system; and (c) recommend a method bywhich justices and judges should be disciplined. The SpecialCommittee was also directed to review the current system ofjudicial recusal and to recommend an objective standard forjudicial recusal. Chief Justice Abrahamson and Justices AnnWalsh Bradley, N. Patrick Crooks and Patience DrakeRoggensack have testified before the committee.

At its final meeting on November 18, the committeeconsidered eight possible legislative proposals, but only tworeceived a majority vote. They are: (1) a proposedconstitutional amendment that would allow temporaryservice by a court of appeals judge in the supreme court injudicial disciplinary proceedings; and (2) a proposedamendment to s. 757.19 (5), Stats., that would require ajudge to file a statement of reasons when he or she denies amotion for disqualification. Either proposal must beapproved by the full Legislative Council in 2011 beforeintroduction in the Legislature.

The Special Committee on Review of Records Access ofCircuit Court Documents, headed by Rep. Kelda Roys, D-Madison, is directed to review how, and by whom, circuitcourt civil and criminal records may be accessed throughthe Wisconsin Circuit Court Automation (WCCA) Program.The issues to be considered by the committee include: (a)the length of time a record remains accessible throughWCCA; (b) whether accessibility of a record throughWCCA should depend on how far a civil or criminalproceeding has progressed; and (c) whether records ofproceedings that have: (1) been vacated or dismissed; or (2)resulted in acquittal or other form of exoneration shouldcontinue to be accessible through WCCA.

Director of State Courts John Voelker has appeared beforethe committee twice, and was joined at the first meeting by

Jean Bousquet, Chief Information Officer for the courtsystem. Copies of their testimony are available on thecommittee’s website. The committee is scheduled to meetnext on Dec. 15.

The Special Committee on Review of EmergencyDetention and Admission of Minors Under Chapter 51,headed by Rep. Sandy Pasch, D-Whitefish Bay, will meetfor the fourth time in December. It is directed to review thefollowing provisions in ch. 51, Stats.: (a) theappropriateness of, and inconsistencies in, the utilization ofemergency detention procedures under s. 51.15, Stats.,across this state, and the availability and cost of emergencydetention facilities; (b) the inconsistent statutory approachesto emergency detention between Milwaukee County andother counties in the state; and (c) the inconsistentapplication of procedures relating to admission of minorsunder s. 51.13, Stats., as modified by 2005 Wisconsin Act444.

The committee expects to finalize its recommendationsabout emergency detention and admission of minors duringDecember, then vote on possible legislative proposalsduring January or February. Any proposals it recommendsmust be approved by the full Legislative Council.

The final committee affecting court procedures andpractices is the Special Committee on Review of SpousalMaintenance Awards in Divorce Proceedings, chaired byRep. Tony Staskunas, D-West Allis. The Special Committeeis directed to study: (a) the purpose and goals of awardingmaintenance; (b) making application of the maintenanceconsiderations given in s. 767.56, Stats., more uniform andpredictable; (c) whether the statutes should provideguidance to the courts relating to amount and duration of amaintenance award; (d) whether cohabitation should beconsidered when revising maintenance orders under s.767.59, Stats.; and (e) whether marital fault should beconsidered when determining a maintenance award.

The committee met in August and again in October toreceive testimony and discuss possible future actions. Atthe first meeting, committee member and Reserve JudgeRobert G. Mawdsley of Waukesha, explained current lawrelating to maintenance awards. At the committee’s secondmeeting, Mawdsley gave the committee a demonstration ofhow judges utilize the spreadsheet developed by ChiefJudge J. Mac Davis, Waukesha County Circuit Court. Thecommittee was scheduled to meet again Dec. 8. n

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transportation to even go apply for benefits. A variety ofcommunity resources were provided for families to useduring the exercise, including employers, a pawn broker, afood pantry, schools, a loan company, and social serviceagencies. Pruski said that various groups react differently tothe scenarios. When the program was given to socialworkers the participants tended to band together in networksto assist each other. Judges were the first group, she noted,to hold bail hearings on those “arrested.”

Community resource persons were played by volunteersincluding Judge Thomas J. Vale, Green County Circuit Court,as the police; Judge Elliott M. Levine, La Crosse County

Circuit Court, as the employer; Judge John A. Damon,Trempealeau County Circuit Court, as the banker and storeclerk; and Judge James E. Welker, Rock County CircuitCourt, as the local criminal element. Welker had a busymorning conning and stealing assets from the “families” andVale certainly enjoyed making the “collar” of miscreants.Also playing roles were volunteers Linda Albert of WisLap,Marla Stephens of the appellate division of the State PublicDefender, District Court Administrators Gail Richardson andPatrick Brummond and District 5 Assistant District CourtAdministrator Patricia Kroetz. n

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obituary in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, when Flynnquestioned whether he was still capable of doing the job,McCormick told a reporter: “Retirement is out, as far as I’mconcerned.”

McCormick did retire in 2005 and enjoyed his retirementafter so many years of working because, the obituary quotedhim as saying, “every day is Saturday.”

McCormick served as an Army Air Corps B-24 navigatorduring World War II. After receiving his bachelor and lawdegrees from Marquette University, McCormick worked inprivate practice and served in the Wisconsin Assembly from1960-72, along with Anthony S. Earl, who later becameWisconsin governor, Jon P. Wilcox, who became aWisconsin Supreme Court justice, and John C. Shabaz, wholater became a federal district court judge.

“We’ve lost a man who was a tireless public servant, hewas always known as the plaintiff’s judge,” his son, TomMcCormick told the Journal Sentinel. “Even the people wholost in his court loved him.”

While on the bench, he served as a District I delegate tothe Administrative Committee of the Courts and as anappointee to the Legislative Council Special Committee onSexual Assault and Abuse.

McCormick was preceded in death by his wife, Mary Jo.

He is survived by his nine children, 17 grandchildren, andseven great-grandchildren.

Jerome “Jerry” LedermannJuneau County Court Reporter

Jerome “Jerry” Ledermann, former court reporter for theJuneau County Circuit Court, passed away on July 23,following a courageous battle with cancer.

Ledermann served in the U.S. Army in Germany as amedic before completing his degree in court reporting. Aftermoving to Mauston, he began working as a court reporterfor the Juneau County Circuit Court in 1963. During his 38years of service, he worked with Judge Paul S. Curran,Judge Paul P. Roemer, Judge Wallace A. Brady and JudgeJohn W. Brady.

After his retirement in 2002, he continued to work as asubstitute court reporter in surrounding areas.

According to an obituary, Ledermann enjoyed playingcribbage with friends and attending his children’s sportingevents.

Ledermann is survived by his wife, Joyce; three children;four grandchildren; and many other friends and family. n

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pending report provides information in real time so whencase updates are made in CCAP case management they arereflected on the statistical report the next morning. A newdocklet, unscheduled cases, has also recently been released.This docklet contains the list of cases that are active orpending and do not have a future court activity scheduled.

Access to other files, applications and Web sitesFinally, many tools used by judges are not part of the

CCAP case management system, so the convenient quicklinks docklet was designed to provide quick access to otherfrequently used Web sites, applications and files. Using the

“quick links” judges can access GroupWise, Messenger,legal research tools, various calculators and MS Worddirectly from the dashboard. Judges can also personalizethe docklet by adding additional Web sites, files orapplications.

Early indications show significant interest in the JudicialDashboard, and future refinements, enhancements and bugfixes are underway. CCAP will continue to commitresources and effort to improve this valuable tool for judges.As the dashboard matures, CCAP will make more dockletsavailable that provide additional business intelligence,efficiencies and convenience to judges. n

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Policy, each of whom discussed the process of trying toimprove the effectiveness of the criminal justice system.

Schumacher said evidence-based decision makinginvolves implementation of techniques that the researchshows are effective and eliminating things that the researchshows don’t work.

The story can be found at:http://www.weau.com/home/headlines/Team_works_to_make_justice_system_more_efficient__109042639.html

In Milwaukee, initial planning is focused on using EBDMtools to make smarter use of limited pretrial supervision andsentencing resources. Holly Szablewski, who coordinatespretrial services for Milwaukee’s nineteen criminalbranches, says, “Our hunch is that there is a large number ofoffenders who present no more than a low risk to reoffendbut are regularly drug tested and monitored and evendetained. If the evidence supports our hunch, think of themany ways that money could be better spent.”

Screening all defendants to determine just what risk they

present is a big undertaking, but the monetary savings andthe increased effectiveness of the system might easily justifythe additional costs of such a program.

In the summer of 2011, the National Institute ofCorrections will decide which two of the seven teams – weknow which two we are pulling for – will advance to thefinal phase of the program.

The Evidence-Based Decision Making in Local CriminalJustice Systems Initiative is funded by the National Instituteof Corrections (NIC) with support from the U.S.Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs.

The local framework will be based on a national modeldeveloped on the “belief that risk and harm reduction arefundamental goals of the justice system, and that these canbe achieved without sacrificing offender accountability orother important justice system outcomes,” according to theNIC. Wisconsin Supreme Court Chief Justice Shirley S.Abrahamson served on an advisory committee that helpeddevelop the national model. n

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www.wicourts.gov

Chief JusticeShirley S. Abrahamson

Director of State CourtsA. John Voelker

Co-EditorsTom SheehanAmanda K. Todd

Associate EditorSara Foster

Contributing WritersBridget BaumanJean BousquetPatrick BrummondShelly CyrulikHon. Mel FlanaganSara FosterMichelle Jensen GoodwinTheresa OwensAmber PetersonGail RichardsonHon. Richard J. SankovitzTom SheehanAmanda ToddA. John Voelker

Editorial CommitteeHon. Michael J. RosboroughVernon County Circuit CourtCarolyn OlsonIowa County Clerk of CircuitCourt

Graphic Design/LayoutSara Foster

The Third Branch is aquarterly publication of theDirector of State CourtsOffice, providing news ofinterest to the Wisconsincourt system.

Send questions, comments,and article ideas to: Amanda ToddCourt Information OfficerP.O. Box 1688Madison, WI 53701-1688phone(608) 264-6256e-mailamanda.todd@wicourts.govfax(608) 267-0980

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the participants, we believe the systemwill better serve our children andfamilies,” he added.

The majority of attendees indicatedthat the information contained inGinther’s presentation on childdevelopment and attachment was newand valuable. In evaluating thepresentations, one judge wrote that itwas the “best [presentation] in 25years on [the] bench.” Consistent withthe message Ginther wantedparticipants to come away with, oneDCA noted that several judgesexpressed “a willingness to worktoward a more regular, more frequent,and earlier contact after removal.”

With respect to Foley’s and Pasell’spresentations, participants also ratedthe substantive legal informationrelated to child welfare and family lawcases as valuable. Furthermore, manyparticipants reported that the

information will be useful in theirjobs.

Finally, several participants said theyalso enjoyed learning about differentresources that can be used to supportsafe exchange and visitation withfamilies where domestic violence is anissue. One circuit court commissionernoted that it would be helpful to havea multi-disciplinary workshop, led byindividuals from counties withvisitation centers, to help othercounties get a program started.

On the whole, the feedback receivedfrom the program evaluationsindicates that participants came awayfrom the training with a betterunderstanding of how to promotestrong family contact while stillmaintaining the safety of children andvictims in cases where domesticviolence is present. n

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White House continued from page 17

Also, as part of the observance ofDomestic Violence Awareness Month,President Barack Obama highlightedour meeting in his comments: “TheDepartment of Justice Office onViolence Against Women is launchinga new national campaign to reducesexual violence in the United States byimproving the criminal justice systemresponse, increasing services forvictims, and changing attitudes.Today, the White House Council onWomen and Girls and the Departmentof Justice held the first ever nationalroundtable on sexual violence at theWhite House.” The President alsoannounced that he will seek to doublethe funding for sexual assaultprogramming in the 2011 budget.

The roundtable discussed where wewant to be on this issue nationally fiveyears from now and came to somebasic conclusions:l A comprehensive national strategy

is needed to adequately addresssexual violence adopting a publichealth model from othersuccessful campaigns, e.g.smoking and drunk driving, andemphasizing that it is acommunity problem.

l The strategy should focus onending sexual violence andchanging the attitudes, culture, andmyths that condone and allowsexual assault to continue.

l The data collection and reportingof sexual assaults by FBI & BJSthat understate or mischaracterizethe crime should be reformed.

l A national protocol for sexualassault forensic medical examsavailable in every communityshould be developed, and examsshould be made. The backlog ofuntested sexual assault forensicexamination kits should beeliminated.

To move forward on this agenda,OVW plans to organize discipline andtopic specific meetings where detailedaction plans will be developed. Theyhope to begin a national awarenesscampaign in conjunction with SexualAssault Awareness Month in April of2011. I applaud the goals and trulyhope that the energy and willingnessof OVW and the many groupsrepresented in the roundtable survivethe long road ahead. n