DiMotto up for clean sweep of divisions

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Next month, Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge John J. DiMotto will complete an objective that has been 20 years in the making.

DiMotto will rotate into the only judicial division he hasn’t served in — juvenile — since joining the bench in 1990.

Though he doesn’t officially start until Aug. 2, he will be spending time with the other judges in the division during the next two weeks in preparation for the move.

He currently presides over probate cases in the Civil Division and is also one of the most progressive judges in the state with regard to his use of technology and social media. DiMotto maintains a regular blog chronicling his daily judicial experiences. He’s touched on everything from the Senate confirmation hearings of Elena Kagan to an overview series on impeachment and rehabilitation evidence in Wisconsin.

In between updating his Facebook page and posting his 500th “tweet” on Twitter, DiMotto took time to respond to our “Asked & Answered” questions.

WLJ: What do you value most about being a judge?

Hon. John J. DiMotto: The opportunity to help people resolve their legal disputes and restore order in their lives.

WLJ: What is the most important thing attorneys should know before walking into your courtroom?

DiMotto: They must be respectful of each other, the court and all other participants in the court system. While litigation is adversarial, that is not an excuse to be “uncivil.” Civility and decorum seems to be on the decline and must be reversed.

WLJ: What is your favorite website and why?

DiMotto: The New York Times website. I love getting a global perspective on the news.

WLJ: If you could change one thing about Wisconsin’s legal system, what would it be?

DiMotto: To find a funding source to provide all pro se litigants with legal representation. If people hope to get a “fair shake” in their case, be it family, civil, probate, they need a lawyer who knows and understands the substantive law and legal procedure. Without a lawyer, many people do not obtain justice.

WLJ: What is one thing attorneys should know that they won’t learn in law school?

DiMotto: How to interact with a jury panel. A number of lawyers are unable to bridge the gap between being a lawyer and a jury. I have seen many lawyers who know their case very well — almost too well — and “miss the forest for the trees” in conveying their case and their message to the jury.

WLJ: What is the first concert you went to?

DiMotto: Sly and the Family Stone, in the rain and mud, at one of the first Summerfests.

WLJ: If you could trade places with someone for a day, who would it be and why?

DiMotto: Pope Benedict, so I could publicly “confess” the sins of the Church and seek “reconciliation” and “absolution” for the Church. It sometimes seems like the Church “institution” too often puts form over substance and puts itself before its flock.

WLJ: What is on your desk that you would most like to get rid of?

DiMotto: The myriad legal publications that I get from the various organizations that I belong to.

WLJ: What is your biggest pet peeve on the bench?

DiMotto: Lawyers who are disrespectful.

WLJ: Where and when are you most happy?

DiMotto: At home with my family, particularly my wife. While I love the legal profession, it pales in comparison to the love I have for my family. Family means everything to me.

Jack Zemlicka can be reached at [email protected].