Racine, Oshkosh reporters receive Golden Gavel Awards

STEVENS POINT, February 3, 2006 – The State Bar of Wisconsin recognized Mark Hertzberg, David Steinkraus and Steve Lovejoy all of The Racine Journal Times, and Rachael McCormick now with the Milwaukee Business Journal, as well as Jim Collar and Bethany Warner ofthe Oshkosh Northwestern for winning 2005 Golden Gavel Awards. The State Bar also recognized Mark Hertzberg of the Journal Times for his photography entry. The awards were presented by Attorney Maria Lazar, co-chair of the State Bar's Media-Law Relations Committee, at the Wisconsin Newspaper Association annual convention in Stevens Point on February 3rd.

The State Bar of Wisconsin established the Golden Gavel Awards competition in 1985 as an annual event to recognize outstanding public service by the media. The Media-Law Relations Committee gives Golden Gavel Awards to media entries that foster a greater understanding of our system of law and justice.

Racine Journal Times reporters Mark Hertzberg, David Steinkraus, Steve Lovejoy, and Rachel McCormick received the award for their series of articles titled "Pregnant and Addicted". This group of talented journalists and photographers chronicled the experiences of a young Wisconsin couple who became caught in the snares of the so-called Cocaine Mom Law. The law allows doctors to contact law enforcement if a pregnant patient is found to have endangered her fetus by using drugs or alcohol. The controversial measure lead to the incarceration of Rachel Lowe, where she received no pre-natal care, while judges tried to decide how to proceed in her case. The staff of the Racine Journal Times examined all aspects of the law and its effects on Ms. Lowe and her husband as well as Wisconsin citizens as a whole. Mark Hertzberg also won a Golden Gavel Award for his outstanding photography in this piece.

Jim Collar and Bethany Warner, of the Oshkosh Northwestern were recognized for their series of articles, "Budget Behind Bars," that explored spending increases in the Wisconsin prison system which has skyrocketed 150% in the last decade. The articles contrasted Wisconsin with nearby Minnesota, a state that has one of the nation's lowest incarceration rates. The Minnesota system keeps costs down by emphasizing rehabilitation over incarceration, while still keeping Minnesota citizens safe.

The State Bar would also like to honor this year's Golden Gavel Certificate of Commendation recipients: Sid Schwartz of The Janesville Gazette for "It's the Right Thing", Jason Shepard of the Isthmus for "Faking It", and Mark Hertzberg and Robert Gutsche, Jr. of The Racine Journal Times for "Too Young for the System".

To view this year's winning entries or to obtain an electronic version of the entry form, visit the State Bar's website at www.wisbar.org.

The State Bar of Wisconsin is the mandatory professional association, created by the Wisconsin Supreme Court, for attorneys who hold a law license in Wisconsin. With more than 21,000 members, the State Bar aids the courts in improving the administration of justice, provides continuing legal education for its members, and assists Wisconsin lawyers in carrying out initiatives to educate the public about the legal system.

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