Milwaukee County Branch 3 candidates highlight experience, community commitment during forum

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The candidates for Milwaukee County Circuit Court Branch 3 discussed their experience and dedication to society during an online forum on Thursday.

Katie Kegel, a state public defender, and Susan Roth, a criminal-defense attorney at Kohn Smith Roth, are running for Judge Clare Fiorenza’s seat in the family division.

The candidates discussed a variety of issues during the Milwaukee Bar Association’s virtual forum, including their ideas about the law, solutions to problems facing the court system and opinions about campaign contributions in the non-partisan race.

Kegel talked about how growing up in rural Wisconsin, attending the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and working as a public defender since 2011. She described her legal principles as a commitment to looking at matters case-by-case and finding ways to reform the criminal-justice system.

“I believe that happens with smarter justice,” Kegel said, “and we can accomplish that without over-incarcerating people in ways that we historically have.”

Roth, a Milwaukee County native, said she’s spent nearly every day of her 14-year career as a criminal-defense lawyer in the county courthouse and has worked with many of the people who would be her colleagues if she’s elected. Roth said she’s committed to being fair, balanced and objective while keeping the needs of society in mind.

“While it may sound like a simple philosophy to have, one can be amazed with how much of a difference can be made when people are simply treated with respect and given the ability to be heard,” Roth said.

Roth described her experience with family law as “more limited” since she specializes in criminal defense, but she has worked with juveniles in cases ancillary to her criminal practice, in the delinquency system and in CHIPS matters. She said she’d rely on her ability to learn on her own and her good relationships with other Milwaukee County judges.

Kegel’s family law experience includes working in children’s court as an intern in the public defender’s office and as a clerk at a firm practicing family law. She said it would take “some brushing up” to refamiliarize herself, and that she would also rely on her ability to learn on her own and her good relationships with colleagues.

Kegel cited racial injustices as one reason why the criminal-justice system needs reform. She said she’d be part of the solution by having difficult conversations about race, poverty and treatment issues like mental health and addiction.

“We need to be brave enough to have those conversations and look in the mirror about how we address that individually as members of the bench,” Kegel said.

In Roth’s opinion, judges need to avoid any tendency to rely on assumptions when similar cases with similar fact patterns come before them. She said it’s a lot of work, but judges need to look at every case individually.

“You need to remember that every single decision affects somebody’s life,” Roth said.

A recording of the forum can be found on the Milwaukee Bar Association’s website. The election is scheduled for April 6. Follow @WLJReporter