Candidates seek Kenosha’s new branch

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Even though Kenosha County did not rank among the top 10 in judicial need in the state, according to a 2006 study, an eighth branch was created by the current biennium budget, in part because of population growth in the area.

Candidates for the new seat insist that, statistics aside, legislators realized that an additional branch was long overdue. The report issued by the Wisconsin Director of State Courts Office found that the seven judges in the county were doing the work of eight, with a workload-per-judge average of more than one.

“You look at the daily docket for the existing branches and there aren’t really any gaps there,” said candidate Gregg N. Guttormsen of Guttormsen Law Office LLC.

Guttormsen and fellow attorneys Chad G. Kerkman, David P. Wilk and Frederick L. Zievers are vying for the six-year term which will commence on Aug. 1.

According to Chief Judge Mary K. Wagner, the new branch will allow the system to expand its ability to hear family and civil cases which she says have grown in recent years.

“Kenosha is the fastest growing city in the state,” said Wagner, who pointed to U.S.

Census reports which show the city has grown by more than 6,000 residents since 2000.

Accordingly, the court system will expand to accommodate the need and the eighth branch will be split evenly between family and criminal cases, said Wagner. The creation of the new branch will allow a second court to exclusively handle civil cases.

“Right now, it is difficult to get jury trials scheduled in a timely manner,” said Kerkman, a solo practitioner from Twin Lakes. “I’ve gone into court and had a judge tell me that a trial date won’t come until three or four months down the road.”

Kerkman, 38, said, if elected, he would like to also develop a drug and alcohol court to divert civil and criminal cases.

“More than 20 counties have a drug court and I’d guess that 70 percent of the cases coming through criminal court are related to drug or alcohol problems,” said Kerkman, who specializes in criminal law. “I think the new branch will allow us to take a team approach to solving those problems.”

Wilk, 40, said the new branch is an opportunity to enhance the current system by scheduling cases more efficiently.

“Instead of having 12 jury trials scheduled for one day and witnesses for all 12 coming in one morning, maybe we can develop a better way of scheduling cases,” said Wilk, who practices at Guttormsen, Hartley, Wilk & Higgins LLP.

Wilk, whose father Michael has been the judge in Branch 7 since 1994, added that his 15 years of experience in family, criminal and civil law gives him the balanced background needed to handle the workload in the new branch.

In addition to practice experience, maturity is another attractive judicial attribute, according Guttormsen, who has been in practice for the last 25 years, the last four plus as a solo in Kenosha.

“I don’t think people expect someone to be a judge if that person hasn’t been in practice for a rather lengthy time,” said Guttormsen, who worked with Wilk at Guttormsen, Hartley, Wilk & Higgins LLP and is also related to the partners at the firm.

If elected, he wants to emphasize judicial access throughout the county.

“My biggest concern is making sure residents in the western part of Kenosha have just as easy access as those who live in the eastern part, where the courthouse is located,” Guttormsen said.

Candidate Frederick L. Zievers, who could not be reached for comment, has practiced in the area for more than 32 years and served as district attorney in Kenosha from 1976 to 1982. According to his campaign Web site, Zievers, 56, currently serves as a Kenosha County Court Commissioner and is a partner at Zievers & Dowse, S.C., where he practices criminal and traffic law, labor litigation, civil trial and personal injury litigation.

The primary election for the seat will be held on Feb. 17 and the general election on April 7.