MONROE — Gov. Tony Evers recently announced that Green County Circuit Judge Thomas Vale would be retiring, with the judge later saying “the time is right” for him to do other things with his wife and extended family.

Vale, 69, was first elected to the bench here in 2009. In 2007, the Legislature approved a second judge for the county based on an increased caseload handled by Green County Circuit Court Judge James Beer.

The news came as Evers announced last week he is seeking applicants for the Green County Circuit Court — Branch 2 post. The appointment fills a vacancy being created by Vale’s retirement, effective April 5, said a statement from Evers.

Reacting to the announcement, Vale thanked his co-workers and constituents for the opportunity to serve in a vital leadership role in the community; one in which fairness was paramount.

“People don’t always appreciate (the work of the courts) if they are not involved in the system,” said Vale, taking time out between his court calls on Thursday to reflect on his tenure. “We’re effective and we can move cases…on average quicker than the big counties do. And they say ‘justice delayed is justice denied’.”

He is married to Karen. They have three children; Erin, Dan and Eric.  Vale also said he wants to spend more time with his two grandchildren, including an infant.

Vale, who says he views the job as strictly non-partisan, was re-elected in 2015. Prior to taking the bench, he was in private practice from 1981 to 2009. Vale also spent time as a partner at Duxstad, Vale and Bestul in Monroe; as well as a city attorney for the municipalities of Albany, New Glarus, and Monticello.

People who work with Vale daily on matters of crime and punishment said they saw that sense of fairness, both inside and outside of the courtroom. Among them are Jennifer Prien, who has served as Vale’s judicial assistant and more recently was appointed to an appellate role within the circuit court. 

She said Vale was a mentor and a good boss for what is essentially a busy government office. And she said he was always well-prepared, above all. She recalls many times driving by and seeing his car in the parking lot of the justice center on weekends, including a recent Sunday, when he had two big cases looming.

“He would come in on the weekends many times to review his cases,” said Prien, who first started working for Vale in 2011.

His colleague on the bench, Circuit Judge Faun Phillipson, also called Vale a “mentor” and praised his service to Green County. Vale was particularly helpful, Phillipson said, as a new judge in her first term.

“It was an honor to serve with him and I’m going to miss him…even though I knew this day was coming,” said Phillipson. “He’s everything you would want in a judge — he’s calm, he’s thoughtful and even-keeled.”

Cops who investigate crime also largely feel like they were given a fair deal in Vale’s efficient courtroom.

“He was always fair … and you felt that way in his court room,” said Green County Sheriff Jeff Skatrud, whose officers routinely appear in court in criminal cases and help run overall security at the courthouse.

Even Vale himself recognizes the popular, “win-lose” reputation of today’s court room, with everything from criminal to divorce proceedings playing out each and every week day — often with almost no one in court to witness the complex machinations of state law; and the human element of legal proceedings. 

“Everyone is entitled to his or her day in court,” said Vale. “(But) everyone is not going to be happy there. Someone wins and someone loses.”

Still, with the stakes especially high — such as in child-abuse and other felony cases — the judge must balance competing demands against state law. It is a role that is not only heavy on the heart and mind but the job itself can be somewhat isolating, he said, referring to the way in which judges are expected to refrain from discussing their jobs and views in public.

“When you are a lawyer, you can discuss cases outside the court room,” he said. “I don’t speak in public about cases.”

Vale is a graduate of University of Wisconsin-Madison and received his law degree from Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa. He is a member and past president of the Green County Bar Association.

The hardest part of being a judge is sentencing, Vale said, citing both the complexity of the task and the lives impacted by it. Sentencing guidelines must be followed and sometimes he’s asked to sentence offenders to decades in state prison.

“How do you treat everybody fairly?” he said. “It’s difficult, particularly when you have a young person who has committed a (felony) offense.”

He added that much of the impactful work of the juvenile court occurs in closed courtrooms, although actual child abuse cases do spill out into the headlines. Indeed, he added, there’s a lot more going on behind closed doors than many realize.

“In court…. everybody is not going to be happy there,” he said. “There’s a lot of broken families out there and you just can’t fix everything.”

Evers is seeking applicants for the vacancy on the Green County bench. Applications are due by 5 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 9. The new judge will fill the role beginning April 5, 2024 and complete the term ending July 31, 2025.

To apply, email a completed application form and supporting materials to GOVJudicialAppointments@wisconsin.gov. 

The application can be found on the “Apply to Serve” page on Gov. Evers’ website at: www.evers.wi.gov.

Applicants with questions about the judicial selection process may contact the Governor’s Office of Legal Counsel at (608) 266-1212.