Poll: Contested races for circuit court close among Milwaukee lawyers

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A survey of Milwaukee-area lawyers shows that the contested races for two Milwaukee County circuit branches are close.

The Milwaukee Bar Association surveys its members each year before the spring elections, asking them to rate the qualifications of judicial candidates on the ballot. The MBA asks members to evaluate the candidates according to criteria such as integrity, knowledge and understanding of the law and communication skills.

Members had the option of rating candidates as “qualified” or“not qualified.” They could also say they had “no opinion,” indicating that members were not familiar with a candidate’s qualifications.

The candidates battling it out for Branch 31 are Hannah Dugan, attorney at Law Offices of Hannah C. Dugan LLC; and Judge Paul Rifelj, the incumbent. According to Tuesday’s survey results, 155 members rated Dugan as qualified whereas 154 members rated Rifelj as qualified. Also, 19 members rated Rifelj as not qualified and 58 members rated  Dugan not qualified.

Judge Michelle Ackerman Havas, an incumbent, and Jean Kies, attorney at the Law Offices of Jean Kies, are vying for a seat on Branch 45. Of the members who responded to the MBA’s survey, 145 rated Havas as qualified and 121 rated Kies as qualified. Twenty-five lawyers conversely rated Havas as unqualified and 31 rated Kies as unqualified.

Nearly 15 percent of MBA members responded to the survey, according to a news release and not all responses to the survey rated each candidate.

Voters head to the polls April 5. Follow @erikastrebel