From Judge Mark L. Goodman

Monroe County Circuit Judge, Branch II

Sparta

To the Editor:

Wisconsin voters soon will fill a seat on the Supreme Court. Voters need to take candidates at their word.

Candidate Brad Schimel made the following comments about his work habits on the Waukesha County Circuit Court: “You set your own hours. Certainly, I’ve got to get my cases done (sic), but I decide. You know what? If I want to do golf on Thursday afternoon, I can do that.”

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel also quotes him as saying, “The circuit judge gig is nice. You know, we have a private bathroom . . .  Seriously, it’s under Supreme Court rules . . .  I think it’s crazy.”

 The constitutional office of circuit court judge is not a “gig.” I know of no other judge who sets his or her own hours. Judge Schimel makes it sound like his retirement job.

 Judicial security is no joking matter. In 2022, retired Juneau County Judge John “Jack” Roemer was murdered in his home. Judge Schimel must have forgotten about his murdered colleague when he ridiculed the private toilets provided to circuit judges.

Serving as a circuit judge has been the greatest honor of my life. Schimel’s comments degraded the office. He is “un-serious” about judicial security and unsuitable to sit on the Wisconsin Supreme Court. For these non-partisan reasons, Judge Susan Crawford is the best candidate overall.