Editors Note: Our Managing Editor, Steve Schuster spoke to Judges, the Office of Lawyer Regulation, Federal Prosecutors, District Attorneys throughout the Midwest, the State Bar of Wisconsin, Wisconsin Attorney General, Governor Tony's Evers office, as well as legislatures to determine the full extent of the problem and possible solutions on how to fix Wisconsin's broken criminal justice system.
Read More »
News
NAACP demands retraction of ‘inaccurate’ Wisconsin Right Now reporting
Protasiewicz’s campaign told the Wisconsin Law Journal on Wednesday evening that despite a Journal Sentinel story to the contrary, Protasiewicz has no plans to sue over allegations published in the Wisconsin Right Now story.
Read More »Resolution honoring Women’s History Month passes Wisconsin Assembly
Resolution introduced honors the many achievements that Wisconsin women have made throughout the state's history.
Read More »Wisconsin Attorney General Kaul Advocates for DCI Funding in Crime Fighting Budget
Request would add 19 special agents and criminal analysts to DCI. DCI Agents investigate homicides, drug trafficking, internet crimes against children, and other serious crimes.
Read More »Wisconsin Assembly set to vote on parole commission bill
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin’s parole commission would be forced to meet in public and post its decisions online under a Republican-authored bill the state Assembly is set to take up Wednesday. Republicans have heaped criticism on the commission after it decided to parole convicted murderer Douglas Balsewicz last May. He had served 25 years of an 80-year sentence for fatally stabbing his wife. ...
Read More »Wisconsin Republicans set to clarify cash bail amendment
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The Republican-controlled Wisconsin Legislature is set Wednesday to clarify when a proposed constitutional amendment to make it harder for people to go free on bail before trial would apply. Both chambers of the Legislature are expected to pass a bill specifying which offenses would fall under the proposed amendment that, if approved by a majority of the state’s ...
Read More »Wisconsin Assembly set to vote on tougher riot penalties
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Anyone who encourages a riot or engages in violence during a riot would face felony charges under a bill Wisconsin’s Assembly is poised to take up Wednesday. The Republican-backed measure would make urging, promoting or organizing a riot a felony punishable by up to three years and six months in prison. Engaging in violence during a ...
Read More »Lawmakers to vote on tougher reckless driving penalties
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Penalties for reckless driving would dramatically increase under a pair of Republican-backed bills that Wisconsin lawmakers are set to vote on Wednesday. The bills’ chief authors, Rep. Bob Donovan and Sen. Duey Stroebel, said they introduced the legislation in response to what they say are rising incidents of reckless driving in Milwaukee. The Milwaukee Police Association, ...
Read More »Wis. Democrats, Gov. Tony Evers call for end of 1849 abortion ban with new legislation
Gov. Tony Evers announced on Tuesday legislation to repeal Wisconsin's 1849 abortion ban after Roe v. Wade was overturned.
Read More »Milwaukee Municipal Court Branch 2 Candidate Molly Gena speaks at Milwaukee Bar Association Event
Molly Gena currently is the managing attorney at Legal Action of Wisconsin in Milwaukee and her opponent Sen. Lena Taylor is serving her fourth term in the Wisconsin State Senate.
Read More »Wis. Supreme Court Candidate Dan Kelly endorsed by NRA despite blog post highlighting Second Amendment limitations
Kelly's deleted blog post says that guns are not meant for hunting or personal protection under the Second Amendment. "The pro-gun crowd tends to ignore the primary justification for the Second Amendment, and focuses instead of its derivative benefits," Kelly wrote in a now deleted blog.
Read More »Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley commends Judge Carl Ashley on Appointment to Chief Judge of 1st Judicial District
By Steve Schuster [email protected] Circuit Court Judge Carl Ashley was appointed by the Wisconsin Supreme Court last week to serve as the next Chief Judge of Wisconsin’s First Judicial District. Judge Ashley will begin his new role leading the Milwaukee County Circuit Court next month on April 15, according to officials. County Executive David Crowley said, “Congratulations to Judge Carl ...
Read More »State investigators probing death, injury in Hortonville
Investigators with the state Department of Justice are investigating a mysterious death in northeastern Wisconsin.
Read More »Attorney General Kaul Announces Multistate Letter to Kia and Hyundai Makers
By Steve Schuster [email protected] Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul joined Milwaukee leaders this afternoon in announcing a coalition of attorney generals who are sending a letter to Kia America (Kia) and Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai) calling on their executives “to take swift and comprehensive action to help remedy the crisis of car thefts that has occurred as a result of ...
Read More »Livestreaming police stop constitutionally protected, 4th Circuit rules
The judge explained that the restriction on using a cell-phone “was thus an aspect of the seizure.”
Read More »Republican bills push cash bail, subvert Democratic changes
If ratified by Wisconsin voters on April 4, the amendment would let judges setting bail consider the criminal history of someone accused of a violent crime.
Read More »Kelly’s deleted blog posts reveal his personal views
Kelly's recovered blogs reveal his views on guns, women's rights, a free press, Social Security, Medicare, same-sex marriage, legalizing marijuana, abortion, and much more.
Read More »Arrest warrant issued for Russian President Putin
THE HAGUE (AP) — The International Criminal Court said Friday that it has issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin for war crimes, accusing him of personal responsibility for the abductions of children from Ukraine. It was the first time the global court has issued a warrant against a leader of one of the five permanent members of the ...
Read More »Trump calls for nationwide protests ahead of Tuesday’s predicted arrest
On Saturday morning, former President Donald Trump said that he is going to be arrested on Tuesday in New York. Trump posted on social media "Take our nation back" in a call to his supporters. Arrest warrant issued for Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Read More »Dan Kelly’s deleted blog posts raise new questions
The Wisconsin Law Journal has recovered many of Kelly's deleted posts. Several of the deleted posts are available to read within this article.
Read More »Milwaukee firm to acquire Northridge Mall, current owners found in contempt of court
The Chinese company, which had plans to turn the mall into an Asian marketplace, was held in contempt of court Friday for not showing up, again.
Read More »Sarah Godlewski tapped to replace Secretary of State Doug La Follette
Former secretary Doug La Follette announced his retirement effective Friday, after being re-elected in November.
Read More »Wisconsin Republican joins out-of-state Republicans to limit food assistance benefits
Wisconsin Republican Rep. Glenn Grothman has joined other Republican legislators across the country in an effort to make it more difficult to get food assistance. North Carolina Democrat Rep. Alma Adams says, "No one should ever go hungry in the greatest country in the world." Rep. Gwen Moore joined Adams and other Democrats in effort to make it easier to obtain food assistance.
Read More »Annual Run for Justice set for June 14
The 12th annual Run for Justice will take place at Veteran’s Park on Milwaukee’s lakefront at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, June 14. Proceeds will benefit the Milwaukee Justice Center, which is the civil legal aid self-help center located within the Milwaukee County Courthouse.
Read More »UN: Russia committed war crimes in Ukraine
GENEVA – Russian attacks against civilians in Ukraine, including systematic torture and killing in occupied regions, amount to war crimes and possibly crimes against humanity, according to a report from a U.N. backed inquiry released Thursday. The sweeping human rights report, released a year to the day after a Russian airstrike on a theater in Mariupol killed hundreds sheltering inside, ...
Read More »EPA rule limits emissions polluting downwind areas
(AP File Photo) WASHINGTON — A new “good neighbor” rule issued by the Environmental Protection Agency will restrict smokestack emissions from power plants and other industrial sources that burden downwind areas with smog-causing pollution they can’t control. Nearly two dozen states will have to cut harmful industrial emissions of nitrogen oxide and other pollutants to improve air quality for millions ...
Read More »Experts: Censorship growing in US
BOISE, Idaho — In Idaho, an art exhibit was censored and teens were told they couldn’t testify in some legislative hearings. In Washington state, a lawmaker proposed a hotline so the government could track offensively biased statements as well as hate crimes. In Florida, bloggers are fighting a bill that would force them to register with the state if they ...
Read More »FBI investigating Grafton Homicide with Ozaukee Co. after man found shot dead in rental car March 4
On Thursday, The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) tells the Wisconsin Law Journal that they have been working with the Ozaukee County Sheriff’s Office to investigate a homicide that occurred in Grafton March 4.
Read More »Wisconsin Republicans float bill to designate state rifle
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Republican lawmakers began circulating a bill Thursday that would designate a lever-action rifle produced in northwestern Wisconsin as the state’s official rifle. The bill from state Reps. Dave Armstrong, Treig Pronschinske and James Edming and Sen. Romaine Quinn would designate the Henry All-Weather .45-70 as Wisconsin’s official state rifle. The bill is symbolic only. The state ...
Read More »Wisconsin lawmakers clash over cash bail proposals
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Democratic lawmakers unveiled plans Thursday to largely eliminate the use of cash bail in Wisconsin, clashing with Republicans who proposed a constitutional amendment to make it harder for people to get out of jail before trial. The Democratic proposal, which almost certainly will not pass the Republican-controlled Legislature, would rely on risk assessments to allow most ...
Read More »