State Bar of Wisconsin

Impartial Justice Bill receives public support at statewide events

By Adam Korbitz, Government Relations Coordinator, State Bar of Wisconsin

Oct. 28, 2009 – The Impartial Justice Bill – Senate Bill 40 and Assembly Bill 65 – received a public boost at several press conferences held around Wisconsin on Oct. 19, 22, and 27.

The press conferences – held in Milwaukee, Madison, La Crosse and Eau Claire – were organized by Lt. Governor Barbara Lawton and featured former Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Janine Geske, long-time Republican campaign operative and clean elections advocate Bill Kraus, and La Crosse County Circuit Court Judge Ramona Gonzalez.

The Impartial Justice Bill would greatly increase public financing for Wisconsin Supreme Court campaigns. The State Bar of Wisconsin has long-supported the bill, which was authored by Senator Pat Kreitlow and Representative Gordon Hintz.

“The citizens of Wisconsin deserve a judiciary that provides fair and impartial decision-making. Trust in the court system has eroded by virtue of the incredible amounts of money invested into recent Supreme Court races, often on behalf of both candidates,” said Geske, who is now a professor at the Marquette University Law School. “The Impartial Justice Bill will play a major role in restoring peoples’ trust that Wisconsin cases will be decided solely on the merits without influence from any particular special interest group.”

State Bar Past President Thomas Basting testified in support of the bill on behalf of the State Bar at a joint Senate/Assembly public hearing on May 27. The Assembly Committee on Elections and Campaign Reform approved the Assembly version of the bill in June. The Senate Committee on Judiciary, Corrections, Insurance, Campaign Finance Reform, and Housing approved the bill in August, moving the bill closer to a floor vote in that house.

Now that the Impartial Justice Bill has been approved by committees in both houses of the Legislature, it has been referred to the Joint Finance Committee. Joint Finance approval of the bill is expected in early November, and a floor vote in both houses could follow soon after.

Several years ago, the State Bar’s Board of Governors addressed the issue of public financing for Wisconsin Supreme Court campaigns and concluded that such a reform would “help maintain the integrity and independence of Wisconsin’s courts, where even the perception of bias destroys public trust and confidence in the justice system.”

In December 2007, all seven members of the Wisconsin Supreme Court at that time wrote a letter to Governor Doyle and all legislators expressing their support for “realistic, meaningful public financing for Supreme Court elections to facilitate and protect the judicial function.” While the court made it clear it was not endorsing any particular bill, the justices stated “The risk inherent in any non-publicly funded judicial election for this court is that the public may inaccurately perceive a justice as beholden to individuals or groups that contribute to his or her campaign. Judges must not only be fair, neutral, impartial and non-partisan but also should be so perceived by the public.”

Continue to monitor WisBar.org and visit the State Bar’s Government Relations page for updated information on this legislation.

Related articles:

October rallies to be held around Wisconsin in support of Impartial Justice Bill – October 16, 2009
Senate judiciary committee approves Impartial Justice Bill, holds hearing on Family Justice Bill, other issues – August 25, 2009
Assembly committee approves Impartial Justice Bill, increasing public financing of supreme court campaigns – June 25, 2009
U.S. Supreme Court Issues Massey v. Caperton Ruling – June 9, 2009
State Bar testifies in support of the Impartial Justice Bill – May 28, 2009
Statement of State Bar President Diane Diel in Support of Senate Bill 40, the "Impartial Justice Bill" – February 10, 2009

Rotunda Report is the State Bar of Wisconsin’s Government Relations e-newsletter that highlights legislative, judicial, and administrative developments that impact the legal profession and the justice system. It is published twice a month and is distributed free to attorneys, public officials and others who help shape public policy in Wisconsin. We invite your suggestions to make the Rotunda Report more informative and useful and we encourage you to visit our Web site for the most current information about justice-related issues.

© 2009, State Bar of Wisconsin