Candidate Profiles
The Monroe Times contacted candidates in area races and gave them the opportunity to submit profile information. The following profiles were returned and are published below as they were submitted. Guy Taylor, Katherine Findley, Duane Jorgenson and Gayle Jebbia are running in the Feb. 17 primary election for Lafayette County circuit court judge. The top two in votes advance to an election April 7, the winner of which will replace retiring judge William Johnston. Johnston, who has held the position since 1985, will retire when his term ends July 31.
Guy M. Taylor
Age: 57
City/town of residence: Town of Middleton for now, hopefully Lafayette County soon
Family: Married 20 years to Svetlana, twin boys age 14
Education: BA Beloit College 1981, Law Degree University of Wisconsin, 1987
Occupation: Senior Assistant State Public Defender
Previous relevant experience:
I have handled over 10,000 cases in over 27 years as a Public Defender attorney. I first appeared in Lafayette County Court in 1988.
What is your judicial philosophy?
I believe a good judge is polite and even tempered. A good judge listens and lets people have their say in court. A good judge is impartial and honestly tries to arrive at the right answer, not the politically expedient one. A good judge runs an organized court that doesn't waste the time of the people who set aside their daily activities to attend. A good judge is decisive and makes the hard choices, correctly applying the facts and the law. A good judge always remembers that the protection of the public is their duty and the Constitutions of Wisconsin and the United States of America must be upheld.
What personal qualities or characteristics, other than fairness and impartiality, would you bring to the bench?
I always try to treat others with respect and dignity and to be punctual and organized and even tempered and even handed. I have dedicated my professional life to our justice system and I have a no other agenda than the proper administration of the law.
Is there a case you have been involved with of which you are particularly proud? And is there a case you have been involved with that, in retrospect, you wish you had handled differently? Please explain.
Certainly I am proud to be the first defense attorney to use DNA evidence at trial in Wisconsin and yes, I was appointed as attorney in both the back-to-back terrible triple homicides which amazingly occurred in Lafayette County. It was an enormous challenge and I was proud to discharge my duties in those cases, yet I would not call them great achievements outside of the personal strength and stamina it took to be involved in two such terrible tragedies within such a short time span. I have been privileged to represent many thousands of people in the course of my career and I like to think that I have made a difference for some of them. I have no regrets.
Do you believe the current criminal/civil court system is effective, or do you believe our current justice system is becoming ineffective? Are there methods or changes you would like to see instituted to increase the effectiveness and/or efficiency of our court system?
Our justice system is the finest in the world. However, new ideas can be integrated. The opportunity may exist for adopting a treatment court model to address the pernicious problem of substance abuse in our youth. If outside funding can be harnessed for treatment, and I believe it can, and if there were a dynamic judge who could manage their calendar to make the court time available, and I know I could, then we might provide a better hope of rehabilitation for these young offenders for the benefit of all and at no added cost to the county.
Why are you the best candidate for this office?
I have spent the last 27 years in the courts on a daily basis. I have been before dozens of judges and I have seen which qualities make the best judges. I don't seek the office for vainglorious power, I seek the office because I believe I can do the job uncommonly well.
Age: 57
City/town of residence: Town of Middleton for now, hopefully Lafayette County soon
Family: Married 20 years to Svetlana, twin boys age 14
Education: BA Beloit College 1981, Law Degree University of Wisconsin, 1987
Occupation: Senior Assistant State Public Defender
Previous relevant experience:
I have handled over 10,000 cases in over 27 years as a Public Defender attorney. I first appeared in Lafayette County Court in 1988.
What is your judicial philosophy?
I believe a good judge is polite and even tempered. A good judge listens and lets people have their say in court. A good judge is impartial and honestly tries to arrive at the right answer, not the politically expedient one. A good judge runs an organized court that doesn't waste the time of the people who set aside their daily activities to attend. A good judge is decisive and makes the hard choices, correctly applying the facts and the law. A good judge always remembers that the protection of the public is their duty and the Constitutions of Wisconsin and the United States of America must be upheld.
What personal qualities or characteristics, other than fairness and impartiality, would you bring to the bench?
I always try to treat others with respect and dignity and to be punctual and organized and even tempered and even handed. I have dedicated my professional life to our justice system and I have a no other agenda than the proper administration of the law.
Is there a case you have been involved with of which you are particularly proud? And is there a case you have been involved with that, in retrospect, you wish you had handled differently? Please explain.
Certainly I am proud to be the first defense attorney to use DNA evidence at trial in Wisconsin and yes, I was appointed as attorney in both the back-to-back terrible triple homicides which amazingly occurred in Lafayette County. It was an enormous challenge and I was proud to discharge my duties in those cases, yet I would not call them great achievements outside of the personal strength and stamina it took to be involved in two such terrible tragedies within such a short time span. I have been privileged to represent many thousands of people in the course of my career and I like to think that I have made a difference for some of them. I have no regrets.
Do you believe the current criminal/civil court system is effective, or do you believe our current justice system is becoming ineffective? Are there methods or changes you would like to see instituted to increase the effectiveness and/or efficiency of our court system?
Our justice system is the finest in the world. However, new ideas can be integrated. The opportunity may exist for adopting a treatment court model to address the pernicious problem of substance abuse in our youth. If outside funding can be harnessed for treatment, and I believe it can, and if there were a dynamic judge who could manage their calendar to make the court time available, and I know I could, then we might provide a better hope of rehabilitation for these young offenders for the benefit of all and at no added cost to the county.
Why are you the best candidate for this office?
I have spent the last 27 years in the courts on a daily basis. I have been before dozens of judges and I have seen which qualities make the best judges. I don't seek the office for vainglorious power, I seek the office because I believe I can do the job uncommonly well.