Recent news reports about the Justice Louis Butler/Michael Gabelman race referenced the last election in which an incumbent Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice was defeated. The winner in that race was my father, Justice Robert W. Hansen.
I remember the 1967 election vividly, and the only similarity between the two elections is the outcome.
As someone who believed in grassroots connections and an independent judiciary, my father would have been appalled at the recent campaign. My father loved a good, hard-fought political campaign, but he always approached being a judge and campaigning for election with a commitment to open, honest debate.
He possessed an inherent sense of integrity in his campaign and as a judge.
As a lawyer who shares those values, I am appalled at the recent evidence that a seat on our state Supreme Court can be bought.
I have practiced for over 25 years and been active in many judicial campaigns, and I have been an unwavering supporter of an elected judiciary. At this point, serious changes need to occur if we are going to maintain public respect for and a belief in the integrity in our courts.
The concept that judges can only run on a platform of monied political agendas or a race to convince the public they will lock up the most defendants for the longest time is an embarrassment to the judiciary and my profession.
We currently have many fine judges who come from various legal backgrounds – prosecutors, defense attorneys and private practitioners. This balance contributes to the diversity and quality of our courts.
If the recent Supreme Court election is any indication, however, any defense attorney who does his or her job well may now be eliminated from the possibility of being a judge, based on attacks such as those levied against Justice Butler.
How can we expect to have competent and impartial judges who apply the law fairly and impartially if the only litmus test becomes having been a prosecutor or catering to interests that can fund exorbitantly expensive campaigns?
In my view, that is a judiciary for sale. The only question is who will be the next target. If he were still alive, my father would share my sense of outrage at what judicial campaigns have become. The time for change is now.
Susan Hansen is a principal at Hansen & Hildebrand S.C., a Milwaukee law firm.
