Wisconsin Law Journal – WI Legal News & Resources Wisconsin Legal News & Resources

As he engaged in a desperate hunt for national money to help Republicans retain control of the Wisconsin Senate in a series of 2011 recall elections, Gov. Scott Walker reached out to Karl Rove.

Tagged with: David Prosser John Doe investigation Michael Gableman

You’ve prepared for mediation as best you can. You know your strongest arguments and what your opponent will probably counter with.

Tagged with: Jim Mathie mediation

The billionaire owner of a company that makes lead formerly used in paint gives Wisconsin Club for Growth $750,000 to help buck up Gov. Scott Walker and GOP senators during a political crisis — the recall elections in 2011 and 2012.

Tagged with: Scott Walker U.S. Supreme Court Wisconsin Club for Growth

For more than 15 years, Wisconsin courts have operated under the “truth in sentencing” model.

Tagged with: Anthony Cotton parole Truth-in-Sentencing

The Court of Appeals recently tackled the novel question of whether an employee of a health care organization can access a patient’s records without the patient’s consent.

Tagged with: Bench Blog health care Jean DiMotto John Damon Lisa Stark

The trouble with torture as an interrogation tactic is that the suspect will say whatever the interrogator wants to hear — regardless of whether it’s true. Unfortunately, this problem also plagues today’s softer, more sophisticated interrogation tactics.

Tagged with: Brendan Dassey Critic's Corner Michael Cicchini Steven Avery

Under the implied-consent law, is your consent to a blood test for alcohol “coerced” because it is a foregone conclusion that the threatened license revocation for refusing would be vacated at a refusal hearing? The Court of Appeals recently took up this question.

Tagged with: Bench Blog Brian Hagedorn drunken driving Gary Sharpe implied consent Jean DiMotto Paul Reilly

Almost nothing is safe from hackers looking to infiltrate and compromise our systems.

Tagged with: Internet Security

The state Ethics Commission didn’t take long to disappoint — or to show that most of its members are driven by politics more than fairness. The commission, in its first high-profile vote last week, sided with more money in politics. ...

Issues concerning damages were front and center in a small-claims case that was successfully appealed.

Tagged with: Bench Blog Jean DiMotto Jill Fallstad Mark Seidl

Pity poor defense attorneys. Not only do they tend to work long hours for less pay than many of their colleagues. Their job also can often be worse than thankless.

Tagged with: Brendan Dassey editorial Steven Avery

A suburban Chicago judge was removed from the bench on Wednesday after allegations surfaced that she let a lawyer wear her robe and rule in at least two of her cases.

Death at $40 a gram and it's available on the Internet with a few keystrokes and a credit card. Legally.

Tagged with: DEA heroin

A lawyer pummeled by a district attorney’s investigator filed a federal lawsuit Monday seeking more than $30 million from Orange County, Calif: http://www.ocregister.com/articles/alley-725884-crawford-lawyer.html

In an election year of equal opportunity hyperbole, presidential candidate Donald Trump’s comments in late May and early June about U.S. District Court Judge Gonzalo Curiel — suggesting that his “Mexican” heritage creates an “absolute conflict” precluding him from presiding over the Trump University class action suit — were certain to ignite strong feelings, fears and days of seemingly endless talking-head debates.

The Court of Appeals recently tackled the timely issue of what constitutes evidentiary authentication of cell phone text messages.

Tagged with: Bench Blog Jean DiMotto

Thank you for supporting the Wisconsin Law Journal. As a thank you for your support, I would like you to join me as my guest (complimentary admission) to our new August 23rd WLJ Lunch & Learn series (normally $39) to ...

Judge Kozinski Won’t Read Your ‘Fat’ Or ‘Chubby’ Brief

In two previous columns I’ve discussed my rule 1.9 petition (written with my fellow attorney Terry Rose and supported by the attorneys Rob and Ellen Henak), in which I asked the Wisconsin Supreme Court to amend ethics rule 1.9.

Tagged with: Critic's Corner Michael D. Cicchini OLR State Bar Wisconsin Supreme Court

Lawyer sentenced for bringing hash oil, having sex in Pierce County Jail

There is a five-step process for establishing a plan for your business.

Tagged with: Ed Poll Lawbiz Coaches Corner

Her initial 15 minutes of fame came with a swift indictment of six Baltimore cops after Freddie Gray died from injuries suffered in police custody.

One of the most momentous years in my life was 2009. That year saw me getting a law license, my first home and a dog, as well as getting married.

Tagged with: Habush Habush & Rottier Peter Young

Leave it to Scott Walker to find the most right-wing ideologue to appoint to the state Supreme Court, where Walker's strong supporters already have a 4-2 seat majority.

Tagged with: Dan Kelly Wisconsin Supreme Court

Let the iced coffee fly.

The Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. has dropped a proposal to restrict how much board members could say to the media, but the agency can't be allowed to skate away from this episode without criticism.

Tagged with: open records law WEDC

In a highly unusual “decision,” the Wisconsin Supreme Court again deadlocked in a Shiffra case but this time issued five different opinions, most of them containing personal sniping.

Tagged with: Andrew Bissonnette Bench Blog Curt Johnson Jean DiMotto Wisconsin Supreme Court

In early June the media became the story in a Chippewa County courtroom. The Eau Claire Leader-Telegram chose an approaching trial as the subject of a feature that should have never seen the light of day.

Tagged with: Carlea Jo Lauer Christopher Stombaugh Jerry Huffman

Whyte Hirschboeck Dudek recently published a special report regarding a new Occupational Safety and Health Administration rule that will increase employers' reporting requirements for workplace illnesses and injuries.

Tagged with: Erik Eisenmann Laura Ferrari OSHA Whyte Hirschboeck Dudek

The full facts of the civil rights lawsuit against four Racine police officers and the city of Racine may never be known, now that the City Council has agreed to a $100,000 settlement of the case.

Tagged with: settlement