Mindy Tempelis hits ground running as new WDAA president

Outagamie County District Attorney Mindy Tempelis has hit the ground running in her capacity of as President of the Wisconsin District Attorney’s Association (WDAA).

In addition to managing a team of prosecutors and a large case load, Tempelis is also working relentlessly to address Wisconsin’s attorney shortage.

According to Tempelis, Wisconsin is suffering from systemic and budget issues in which prosecutors are facing statewide. Tempelis noted the shortage includes both prosecutors and criminal defense attorneys, leaving both sides in limbo.

“People are sitting in jails, this impacts victims waiting for their day in court,” Tempelis said.

“We have to work together for the betterment of our profession,” Tempelis added.

As previously reported by The Wisconsin Law Journal in March, Wisconsin was on the brink of a constitutional crisis, as courts face unprecedented District Attorney and Public Defender shortages across the state.

Past WDAA President Eric Toney, who currently serves as Fond du Lac County district attorney, worked tenaciously with elected officials across both political aisles to help resolve Wisconsin’s constitutional crisis.

While grateful for recent accomplishments, Tempelis noted, “there is still more work to do.”

Tempelis said she is doing everything in her power to advocate for justice for victims and at the end of the day, that means having enough prosecutors and defense attorneys to ensure justice is delivered swiftly.

“What we are advocating for in large part it is to ensure we have the best qualified most qualified prosecutors for those victims who come through our doors, and train the newer generation of prosecutors with the experience we have, that’s extremely important,” she said.

Tempelis said it is important for prosecutors to be paid accordingly, given the importance of their work and massive case volume.

“There is a need to pay people appropriately to stay in job, rather than cycling new graduates,” she said.

According to Tempelis, Wisconsin prosecutors are still struggling with case backlog and prosecutors have far too many pending cases.

Tempelis noted the importance to adequately compensate attorneys given the high case loads and long hours.

“When someone is always on call, prosecutors working a lot of hours. Many prosecutors have 300 pending cases, which represents a significant increase in case loads,” Tempelis said.

“We have to come down a bit in my county, but not down to pre-pandemic levels,” Tempelis added.

In her free time, Tempelis teaches across a wide variety of disciplines throughout the nation.

“I have served on statewide committees to improve the justice system and have worked with the Governor and legislature to pass important laws positively impacting prosecution, among other achievements,” Tempelis said during an interview with the Wisconsin Law Journal.

Tempelis credits her colleagues for making Wisconsin a safer place.

“None of the of the accomplishments I mention above are possible without a strong, supportive office. I am extremely proud of my team and our commitment to the community. My greatest pride is being entrusted by the citizens of Outagamie County to lead an office which pursues truth in the courtroom and safety in our community,” Tempelis said.

“I am very lucky to work in a county that is extremely collaborative,” she added.

Tempelis also praised Wisconsin Supreme Court Chief Justice Ziegler for her recent efforts to combat Wisconsin’s attorney shortage.

Wisconsin legal deserts have become so common that the State Bar of Wisconsin and Wisconsin Supreme Court Chief Justice Annette Ziegler recently announced the creation of the Attorney Retention & Recruitment Committee to address Wisconsin’s attorney shortage, which is particularly acute in rural counties. Tempelis will be serving on this committee, as well.

“The strength of moving positive policy forward is when we all collaborate, which is what we do as part of coalition of stake holders,” said Tempelis.

Tempelis noted she is part of the criminal justice coalition, which is comprised of both prosecutors and defense attorneys.

Back in 2017, Tempelis was tapped by then Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker to serve as the Outagamie County District Attorney. Tempelis replaced Carrie Schneider, who was previously appointed by Walker to serve as an Outagamie County Circuit Court Judge.

Then-Wisconsin Attorney General Attorney Brad Schimel wrote a letter of recommendation to Walker praising the work of Tempelis.

“Melinda Tempelis is an ethical prosecutor who works hard, respects others and is genuinely committed to customer service as a public servant,” Schimel wrote.