Lafayette County District Attorney
There are two candidates for Lafayette County district attorney. Jenna Gill and incumbent Kate Findley are running.
Position sought: District Attorney of Lafayette County
Age: 50
City/town of residence: Darlington
Family: My husband, Brian, is also an attorney and specializes in appeals. We have been married for 14 years. Lafayette County is our adopted home; as children of ministers neither of us grew up in one place.
Education: Associate Degree in Paralegal Studies from Milwaukee Area Technical College. Bachelor's Degree from UW-Milwaukee. Law Degree (Juris Doctor) from University of Miami School of Law.
Occupation: Elected District Attorney of Lafayette County in November 2012.
What are the top issues facing the office you seek and how would you work to resolve them?
The most prevalent types of cases are domestic abuse, drunk driving, and the manufacturing or possession of drugs.
Other counties in Wisconsin have drug courts, OWI courts, veterans courts, and mental health courts. Treatment courts can have a positive effect on recidivism rates, especially in drunk driving and drug cases. However, treatment courts cost money and the county must be committed to fully funding the program. There are opportunities for grant money, but often the grant money does not cover the entire cost of a program and would be for a limited time so eventually the county would end up paying the full cost for any expired grants. Additionally, most treatment courts involve the hiring of at least one additional full-time staff person and the cost of the expansion of services offered by the county's Department of Health and Human Services.
Currently I'm working with the judge and other county stakeholders to implement a program for early intervention in domestic abuse cases. In addition to early intervention in these cases, our goal is to have a program that does not add any costs to the county's operating budget.
Why are you the best candidate for this office?
The safety of Lafayette County citizens depends on the county having an experienced and impartial prosecutor. Lafayette County has only one attorney in the District Attorney's Office. The D.A. is solely responsible for enforcing the criminal law and advising law enforcement of what procedures they must follow when they stop and apprehend persons suspected of breaking the law.
As D.A. I alone am responsible for deciding who to charge, what to charge, and what punishment to seek. The top issue in this election is what skills and traits are necessary to best represent the people of Lafayette County as their advocate in court. The slogan of my campaign is "Experience Matters" because there is no substitute for experience. If I choose not to charge, then the judge never sees the case. If I do not charge appropriately, it may waste taxpayer money for an unnecessary trial or it may mean that an undeserving criminal gets away lightly. I have over 20 years criminal law experience as D.A., public defender, law professor, and as a paralegal. My opponent has never had a felony case or criminal jury trial. She asks you for your vote because she was born here, but that is not at all an adequate substitute for real criminal law experience. In fact it goes against the long-established ideal that the law should treat everyone the same no matter who they are. That is what I have done as D.A.
Age: 50
City/town of residence: Darlington
Family: My husband, Brian, is also an attorney and specializes in appeals. We have been married for 14 years. Lafayette County is our adopted home; as children of ministers neither of us grew up in one place.
Education: Associate Degree in Paralegal Studies from Milwaukee Area Technical College. Bachelor's Degree from UW-Milwaukee. Law Degree (Juris Doctor) from University of Miami School of Law.
Occupation: Elected District Attorney of Lafayette County in November 2012.
What are the top issues facing the office you seek and how would you work to resolve them?
The most prevalent types of cases are domestic abuse, drunk driving, and the manufacturing or possession of drugs.
Other counties in Wisconsin have drug courts, OWI courts, veterans courts, and mental health courts. Treatment courts can have a positive effect on recidivism rates, especially in drunk driving and drug cases. However, treatment courts cost money and the county must be committed to fully funding the program. There are opportunities for grant money, but often the grant money does not cover the entire cost of a program and would be for a limited time so eventually the county would end up paying the full cost for any expired grants. Additionally, most treatment courts involve the hiring of at least one additional full-time staff person and the cost of the expansion of services offered by the county's Department of Health and Human Services.
Currently I'm working with the judge and other county stakeholders to implement a program for early intervention in domestic abuse cases. In addition to early intervention in these cases, our goal is to have a program that does not add any costs to the county's operating budget.
Why are you the best candidate for this office?
The safety of Lafayette County citizens depends on the county having an experienced and impartial prosecutor. Lafayette County has only one attorney in the District Attorney's Office. The D.A. is solely responsible for enforcing the criminal law and advising law enforcement of what procedures they must follow when they stop and apprehend persons suspected of breaking the law.
As D.A. I alone am responsible for deciding who to charge, what to charge, and what punishment to seek. The top issue in this election is what skills and traits are necessary to best represent the people of Lafayette County as their advocate in court. The slogan of my campaign is "Experience Matters" because there is no substitute for experience. If I choose not to charge, then the judge never sees the case. If I do not charge appropriately, it may waste taxpayer money for an unnecessary trial or it may mean that an undeserving criminal gets away lightly. I have over 20 years criminal law experience as D.A., public defender, law professor, and as a paralegal. My opponent has never had a felony case or criminal jury trial. She asks you for your vote because she was born here, but that is not at all an adequate substitute for real criminal law experience. In fact it goes against the long-established ideal that the law should treat everyone the same no matter who they are. That is what I have done as D.A.