Litigation

WI High Court Candidates Clash in Debate

By Peter Hardin

Justice David Prosser and challenger JoAnne Kloppenburg engaged in a sharp-edged debate Monday as their contest for the Wisconsin Supreme Court continued to draw increased attention.

“Wis. court candidates spar over impartiality,” declared a headline with an Associated Press article.

Emotions are running high over the legislature’s effort to reduce collective bargaining power for public employees, and some observers are going so far as to call the April 5 Supreme Court election a referendum on Republican Scott Walker’s successful initiative in the legislature.

In the debate, each Supreme Court candidate contended the other can not act independently. Justice Prosser is a former Republican legislator. Kloppenburg is an assistant attorney general who has not served as a judge.

An article in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel was headlined, “Supreme Court debate focuses on rancor among current justices.” That rift was widely known, but the depth of its bitterness was revealed in an earlier report by the same newspaper (see Gavel Grab).

According to the article, Justice Prosser predicted that animosity on the court would subside with his re-election, because some of his colleagues on the bench don’t want to see him serve another term.

Kloppenburg offered a different viewpoint, saying Justice Prosser has “publicly castigated” other judges. She said, “Losing your temper does not solve problems.”

You can learn more about the Wisconsin race by clicking here for Gavel Grab. It is the first Wisconsin Supreme Court election where candidates have drawn on public financing under a new state law.

Full post as published by The Gavel on March 22, 2011 (boomark / email).