In attorneys Tom Vale and Dan Gartzke, voters have two fine choices on April 7 in selecting the first person to serve as judge in the newly created Branch 2 of the Green County Circuit Court.
While either candidate would make a good judge for Green County, Vale's experience and judicial philosophy are best suited for the position.
He earns our endorsement.
Thankfully, the candidates are friends who have successfully upheld their pledge to run a positive campaign. There are two areas that we think best define them for voters - demeanor and experience.
After a period of time on the bench, a judge begins to build a reputation - as a tough judge, as a lenient judge, etc. While it's impossible to know for sure what reputations Vale or Gartzke would have after a six-year term, some insights can be gained.
Vale stresses that he will decide cases on the law, not on a gut feeling. While he says he'll be open-minded when he listens to cases, he won't let emotion become part of the decision-making process.
Gartzke, meanwhile, tells of cases he's tried in which judges have taken a measure of a defendant and determined they were deserving of a break in sentencing. As a judge, he would strive to strike the balance between the laws and the ability to show compassion from the bench.
Neither approach is wrong, just different. Individual voters must decide which philosophy they prefer from their circuit court judge. In general, we most often hear people say they think the Green County court is too easy on defendants.
Both candidates have solid ideas on how to make the county court more efficient and effective. Gartzke articulates his ideas most clearly, and perhaps has thought them through a bit more for the campaign. His vow to make himself available for a half-hour before court convenes to accommodate cases that can be quickly resolved is intriguing.
Both candidates have extensive experience and qualifications to be judge.
Vale, a Monroe resident and a partner at Duxstad, Vale and Bestul in Monroe, has 27 years of private practice experience. He has experience in criminal law, family law, municipal law, real estate law, wills and trusts and civil litigation. His most recent focus has been in business law. He's been a village attorney for New Glarus and Monticello and a counsel for the Town of Albany. He's past president of the Green County Bar Association.
The son of a lawyer and appellate court judge, Gartzke lives in New Glarus. He has 23 years of experience in private practice, currently with Schwalbe & Gartzke, with offices in Madison and New Glarus. He has 16 years within Green County courts, and has worked cases in courts across Wisconsin, giving him a perspective of a range of programs and practices in other locales. Gartzke, too, has handled a wide variety of cases, including family law, divorces, worker's compensation and personal injury cases.
Gartzke openly admits he would need to build on limited experience in criminal and juvenile cases, a point of separation between the two candidates. With the bulk of the Green County cases being criminal, juvenile and traffic matters, Vale's experience is best suited. And his straightforward demeanor and potential by-the-book approach may best fit what county residents are looking for from the Branch 2 judge.
While either candidate would make a good judge for Green County, Vale's experience and judicial philosophy are best suited for the position.
He earns our endorsement.
Thankfully, the candidates are friends who have successfully upheld their pledge to run a positive campaign. There are two areas that we think best define them for voters - demeanor and experience.
After a period of time on the bench, a judge begins to build a reputation - as a tough judge, as a lenient judge, etc. While it's impossible to know for sure what reputations Vale or Gartzke would have after a six-year term, some insights can be gained.
Vale stresses that he will decide cases on the law, not on a gut feeling. While he says he'll be open-minded when he listens to cases, he won't let emotion become part of the decision-making process.
Gartzke, meanwhile, tells of cases he's tried in which judges have taken a measure of a defendant and determined they were deserving of a break in sentencing. As a judge, he would strive to strike the balance between the laws and the ability to show compassion from the bench.
Neither approach is wrong, just different. Individual voters must decide which philosophy they prefer from their circuit court judge. In general, we most often hear people say they think the Green County court is too easy on defendants.
Both candidates have solid ideas on how to make the county court more efficient and effective. Gartzke articulates his ideas most clearly, and perhaps has thought them through a bit more for the campaign. His vow to make himself available for a half-hour before court convenes to accommodate cases that can be quickly resolved is intriguing.
Both candidates have extensive experience and qualifications to be judge.
Vale, a Monroe resident and a partner at Duxstad, Vale and Bestul in Monroe, has 27 years of private practice experience. He has experience in criminal law, family law, municipal law, real estate law, wills and trusts and civil litigation. His most recent focus has been in business law. He's been a village attorney for New Glarus and Monticello and a counsel for the Town of Albany. He's past president of the Green County Bar Association.
The son of a lawyer and appellate court judge, Gartzke lives in New Glarus. He has 23 years of experience in private practice, currently with Schwalbe & Gartzke, with offices in Madison and New Glarus. He has 16 years within Green County courts, and has worked cases in courts across Wisconsin, giving him a perspective of a range of programs and practices in other locales. Gartzke, too, has handled a wide variety of cases, including family law, divorces, worker's compensation and personal injury cases.
Gartzke openly admits he would need to build on limited experience in criminal and juvenile cases, a point of separation between the two candidates. With the bulk of the Green County cases being criminal, juvenile and traffic matters, Vale's experience is best suited. And his straightforward demeanor and potential by-the-book approach may best fit what county residents are looking for from the Branch 2 judge.
