VOTE411 Voter Guide

My professional background reflects a longstanding commitment to public service and the fair administration of justice. For more than a decade, I served as a prosecutor, where my responsibility was not simply to secure convictions, but to seek justice. In that role, I exercised discretion carefully, evaluated evidence objectively, and worked to ensure that victims were heard while also safeguarding the constitutional rights of defendants. That experience reinforced my belief that fairness, integrity, and sound judgment are essential to maintaining public trust in the legal system. Currently, as Corporation Counsel for Outagamie County, I continue to serve the public by providing legal guidance that ensures government actions comply with the law and are carried out transparently and ethically. In this role, I advise elected officials and departments on complex legal issues, promote policies that reflect both legal compliance and community interests, and help mitigate risk while upholding the rule of law.

In my personal life I dedicate my time to coaching my kids' sports teams, am a former girl scout leader, and am on the board of directors for our local charter school which focuses on government and leadership.

My experience has given me an opportunity to work with people with different backgrounds and different perspectives. In my time as a prosecutor, I interacted daily with victims, defendants, witnesses, law enforcement officers, and community members from diverse socioeconomic, cultural, and educational backgrounds. Those interactions required me to ensure that every person, regardless of circumstance, felt heard and treated with dignity. I learned that justice requires not only applying the law consistently but also understanding the human realities which bring individuals into the courtroom.

As Corporation Counsel our departments work with different portions of our population to help fix pretty much any problem you can imagine. On one day I could be helping our highway department negotiate a taking of someone’s property for a highway expansion. The next I am working with our HHS department to find a way to help fund the shortfall in SNAP benefits. That work requires collaboration, patience, and the ability to consider issues from multiple viewpoints before reaching a sound legal conclusion. It has strengthened my ability to remain impartial, measured, and respectful, even when issues are complex or are politically and emotion

I think the easiest way to demonstrate impartiality is to remain firmly guided by the law and facts of each case, and base every decision solely on the record and governing legal authority. More importantly, the ethics requirements of the judiciary not only require us to be impartial but to avoid even the appearance of impropriety. Given my professional and personal experience, I have had interactions with many different people. In cases where I know someone and it will even appear that I could be biased, I will recuse myself from the case. Not doing so creates problems for the litigants, for myself, and lessens the trust of the public in the judiciary.

It has always struck me as I was in the midst of litigation that we are in essence playing an extremely high stakes game where the pieces are people, and the outcome significantly affects their lives. Each attorney that comes before the Court on behalf of a client has one primary canon they must adhere to; acting in their client’s best interest. In many situations that includes strategic decisions and tactical maneuvers to get the best outcome for their client. They are required to avoid being impartial. As the referee of this situation, I must ensure that every proceeding which comes before me, no matter if it is civil or criminal, no matter how large or small, requires absolute fairness for everyone involved. Anything less than that makes our system of justice ineffective.

How I accomplish that fairness is, again, basing each of my decisions during a case solely on the facts, the law, and our binding precedent. In addition, that includes making sure I am aware of any implicit biases I may have. If for any reason those biases may affect the outcome of the case, I have a different judge handle the matter.

Unfortunately I don’t think I can name just one as there are several Justices I admire. This is not for their incredible intelligence or well written opinions, but for their impartiality particularly when it comes to voting across political lines. For example, Chief Justice John Roberts' decision in National Federation of Independent Business v. Sebelius upholding the Affordable Care Act mandate. Justice David Souter, also a Republican Presidential appointment who has in many cases sided with the liberal justices, including his decision in Planned Parenthood v. Casey. Justice Anthony Kennedy who voted with the majority in Obergfell v. Hodges. For the Democratic appointees justices like Ruth Bader Ginsberg who voted to allow the use of eminent domain for economic development in Kelo v. City of New London. Justice Sotomayor who is generally against eroding constitutional rights, has voted to uphold certain 4th amendment and law enforcement qualified immunity cases due to the existing precedent. Last but certainly not least is our own Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Brian Hagedorn who serves as the swing vote on several close cases demonstrating a thorough understanding of the law, an appreciation for statutory construction, and a respect for binding precedent. These justices demonstrate that even where their own political