% THE ROAD THAN WHAT PEOPLE THINK.
% >> IN "HERE AND NOW" 2023
% ELECTION REPORTING, THE SECOND
% IN OUR SERIES OF INTERVIEWS WITH
% THE CANDIDATES RUNNING IN THE
% FEBRUARY 21 PRIMARY FOR THE%
WISCONSIN SUPREME COURT.
% THERE ARE FOUR PRIMARY
% CANDIDATES VYING FOR TWO SPOTS
% MOVING TO THE APRIL 4 GENERAL
% ELECTION, TWO CONSERVATIVES AND
% TWO LIBERALS, AND WHOEVER WINS
% WILL DETERMINE THE IDEOLOGICAL
% BALANCE OF THE COURT.
% MILWAUKEE COUNTY CIRCUIT JUDGE
% JANET PROTASIEWICZ IS ONE OF THE
% LIBERALS IN THE RACE.
% SHE WAS A MILWAUKEE COUNTY
% ASSISTANT DISTRICT ATTORNEY FOR
% 26 YEARS BEFORE BEING ELECTED TO
% THE MILWAUKEE COUNTY CIRCUIT
% COURT IN 2014.
% HERE'S SENIOR POLITICAL REPORTER
% ZAC SCHULTZ WITH JUDGE
% PROTASIEWICZ.%>> WHAT WERE S
OME OF THE REASONS
% THAT MADE YOU DECIDE TO WANT TO
% ENTER THE RACE?
% >> HOW CRITICALLY IMPORTANT THE
% RACE IS.
% AND HOW CRITICALLY HIGH THE
% STAKES IN THIS RACE ARE.
% I WAS AT A PRETTY COMFORTABLE
% POSITION IN MY LIFE, QUITE
% FRANKLY, AND I SAT ABOUT BACK BD
% STARTED THINKING ABOUT THIS RACE
% LAST SPRING.
% THE MORE I THOUGHT ABOUT IT, THE
% MORE I COULDN'T SIT BACK AND LET
% PARTISAN FAR RIGHT EXTREMISTS
% HIJACK OUR SUPREME COURT.
% BECAUSE EVERYTHING WE CARE ABOUT
% IS ON THE LINE.
% EVERYTHING I CARE ABOUT IS ON
% THE LINE.
% I THINK THAT EVERYTHING MANY,
% MANY PEOPLE CARE ABOUT IS ON THE
% LINE.
% I'VE HAD CONTESTED RACES.
% I LIKE TO CAMPAIGN.
% I LIKE PEOPLE.
% THE ISSUES ARE SO ABSOLUTELY
% CRITICAL.
% I DECIDED TO GET INTO THE RACE.
% >> HOW DID YOU COME TO THE
% DECISION ON HOW YOU WOULD TALK
% TO VOTERS ABOUT WHAT YOU CARE
% ABOUT VERSUS SOME OTHER
% CANDIDATES IN THIS ELECTION WHO
% ARE TRYING TO KEEP EVERYTHING
% PRETTY PLAIN, TALKING ABOUT THE
% LAW AND THE CONSTITUTION?
% >> WELL, RIGHT, AND, I MEAN, I
% THINK THAT WE PRETTY MUCH KNOW
% HOW MUCH PEOPLE CARE ABOUT
% CERTAIN ISSUES.
% WE PRETTY MUCH KNOW.
% SO MY POSITION REALLY IS PEOPLE
% WHO ARE JUST TALKING ABOUT THE
% CONSTITUTION AND THE LAW, THAT'S
% A PERSONAL CHOICE OF THEIRS, I
% SUPPOSE.%ON THE OTHER HAND, T
HEY MAY NOT
% WISH TO SHARE WHAT THEIR VALUES
% OR IDEAS ARE ON SOME OF THE
% ISSUES THAT ARE REALLY, REALLY
% IMPORTANT TO VOTERS.
% SO WHEN I TALK TO VOTERS, I SAY
% I CAN TELL YOU WHAT MY VALUES
% ARE.
% I CAN'T TELL YOU WHAT I WILL DO
% ON ANY PARTICULAR CASE.
% BUT I'LL TELL YOU WHAT MY VALUES
% ARE, I TELL YOU WHAT I THINK IS
% IMPORTANT.
% AND THAT'S REALLY HOW I FRAME IT
% WHEN I TALK TO PEOPLE, BECAUSE
% OBVIOUSLY I HAVE TO FOLLOW THE
% CONSTITUTION.
% OBVIOUSLY I HAVE TO FOLLOW THE
% LAW.
% BUT PEOPLE ARE VERY, VERY
% CONCERNED ABOUT A WIDE VARIETY
% OF ISSUES.
% THEY'RE CONCERNED ABOUT WOMEN'S
% RIGHT TO CHOOSE.
% THEY'RE CONCERNED ABOUT FAIR
% MAPS.
% THEY'RE CONCERNED ABOUT
% COMMUNITY SAFETY.
% THEY'RE CONCERNED ABOUT CLEAN
% WATER.
% THEY'RE CONCERNED ABOUT MARRIAGE
% EQUALITY.
% SO WE TALK ABOUT THOSE ISSUES IN
% TERMS OF WHAT MY VALUES ARE.
% >> SO HOW DO YOUR VALUES THEN
% TRANSLATE TO DECISIONS FROM THE
% BENCH?
% >> WELL, I STILL HAVE TO FOLLOW
% THE CONSTITUTION.
% I HAVE TO FOLLOW THE LAW.
% BUT I THINK WE ALL KNOW THAT
% THERE IS A SIGNIFICANT ABILITY
% TO INTERPRET THE LAWS.
% THERE'S SIGNIFICANT THINGS THAT
% CAN BE EXHIBIT PRI INTERPRETED T
% WAYS AND YOU CAN TELL THAT JUST
% BASED ON HOW COURTS SPLIT ON
% THEIR DECISIONS AND HOW THERE
% CAN BE A VERY WELL REASONED
% OPINION AND A VERY WELL REASONED
% DISSENT, RIGHT?
% SO YOU CAN TELL THAT THERE ARE,
% YOU KNOW, WELL-THOUGHT-OUT
% DECISIONS ON BOTH SIDES, WITH BT
% IT'S PRETTY CLEAR TO ME, IT'S
% VERY, VERY CLEAR TO ME, THAT
% WOMEN AND MEN IN THIS STATE ARE
% VERY, VERY CONCERNED ABOUT A
% WOMAN'S RIGHT TO CHOOSE.
% VERY, VERY CONCERNED ABOUT IT.
% AND SO I TELL THEM, YOU KNOW,
% YOU SHOULD KNOW MY VALUE.
% AND MY VALUE IS THAT BOTTOM LINE
% IS, YOU KNOW, DISCUSS THE ISSUE
% WITH YOUR CLERGY, DISCUSS IT
% WITH YOUR MEDICAL CARE PROVIDER,
% DISCUSS IT WITH YOUR FAMILY OR
% YOUR SIGNIFICANT OTHER, BUT IN
% THE END, THAT DECISION IS REALLY
% YOUR DECISION.
% THAT'S WHAT MY VALUE IS.
% WHERE WOULD YOU COME DOWN ON IF
% A CASE WAS BROUGHT IN FRONT OF
% THE COURT?
% THAT'S A SEPARATE EVALUATION.
% >> ALONG THIS PATH TOWARDS
% ANNOUNCING AND RUNNING, DID
% ANYONE SAY, WELL, MAYBE YOU
% SHOULDN'T BROADCAST THOSE VALUES
% SO LOUDLY.
% IN THIS KIND OF CAMPAIGN, MAYBE
% THIS IS -- YOU SHOULD CODE YOUR
% LANGUAGE A LITTLE MORE SO THE
% VOTERS KNOW, WITH A WINK, WHAT
% YOU INTEND BUT YOU DON'T SAY IT
% SO PLAINLY.
% >> I DON'T KNOW WHY I WOULD DO
% THAT.
% I MEAN, I CERTAINLY HEAR FROM
% THE FAR RIGHT, SHE'S TELLING YOU
% WHAT SHE'S GOING TO DO.
% THE CRITICISM IS, IF SHE'S
% TELLING YOU WHAT HER VALUES ARE,
% SHE'S TELLING YOU WHAT SHE'S
% GOING TO DO.
% CERTAINLY I'VE HEARD THE
% CRITICISM.
% BUT I THINK VOTERS WANT TO KNOW.
% I MEAN, THESE ISSUES ARE REALLY,
% REALLY ON THE FOREFRONT.
% THEY WANT TO KNOW WHAT KIND OF
% VALUES A SUPREME COURT JUSTICE
% IS GOING TO BRING.
% SO HERE'S WHAT I SAY TO THAT.
% WE HAVE HAD SO MUCH EXTREMISM,
% WE HAVE HAD SO MUCH OF A THUMB
% ON THE SCALE, WE HAVE HAD SO
% MUCH WHERE YOU CAN KIND OF
% PREDETERMINE WHAT THE OUTCOME OF
% A CASE IS GOING TO BE, AND
% THAT'S JUST ABSOLUTELY WRONG.
% YOU NEED A SUPREME COURT JUSTICE
% WHO'S GOING TO FOLLOW THE LAW,
% AND UPHOLD THE CONSTITUTION.
% THAT'S WHAT YOU NEED.
% AND SO YOU NEED TO, LIKE, LET
% PEOPLE KNOW WHAT YOU'RE
% THINKING.
% COMMON SENSE DOESN'T CHANGE.
% TRYING TO GET AWAY FROM ALL OF
% THE EXTREMISM AND BRING COMMON
% SENSE AND CHANGE TO OUR SUPREME
% COURT.
% AND THAT'S REALLY WHAT I KEEP
% GOING BACK TO, COMMON SENSE AND
% CHANGE.
% AND THAT'S WHAT PEOPLE WANT.
% THEY'RE TIRED OF THE DYSFUNCTION
% ON THE SUPREME COURT.
% PEOPLE TELL ME THAT THEY THINK
% THE COURTS SHOULD BE DIFFERENT,
% WHOLLY DIFFERENT, THAN THE
% LEGISLATURE AND FROM TIME TO
% TIME THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH.
% THEY SHOULD BE STEPS ABOVE.
% THEY SHOULD BE PLACES OF
% INTEGRITY.
% AND IT IS SO DIFFERENT, THE ROLE
% OF THE SUPREME COURT, AND THE
% WAY THE SUPREME COURT
% DISTINGUISHES ITSELF, FROM THE
% LEGISLATURES AND SOMETIMES FROM,
% YOU KNOW, THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH.
% IT'S VERY DIFFERENT.
% AND YOU WANT TO BRING THAT BACK.
% YOU WANT TO BRING BACK THAT
% CHANGE, THAT COMMON SENSE, THAT
% DECORUM, THAT DIGNITY, THAT
% INTEGRITY TO THE SUPREME COURT.
% >> WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE OTHER
% CANDIDATES RUNNING IN THIS
% PRIMARY, OBVIOUSLY I'M SURE YOU
% WOULD SAY YOU ARE THE BEST
% CHOICE FOR VOTERS, BUT DO YOU
% THINK THE OTHER CANDIDATES ARE
% ALSO QUALIFIED FOR THE SUPREME
% COURT?%>> I DON'T.
% I THINK YOU HAVE TWO PEOPLE ON
% THE RIGHT WHO ARE VERY SIMILARLY
% ALIGNED THAT ARE VERY EXTREME,
% THAT DON'T REFLECT THE PEOPLE IN
% THIS STATE.
% I HAVE A FRIENDLY OPPONENT ON
% THE LEFT.
% MY OPINION IS I HAVE LONGER,
% BROADER, DEEPER EXPERIENCE THAN
% HE HAS.
% SO, YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHERE I
% COME DOWN.
% >> WHEN YOU HEAR FROM SOMEONE
% LIKE DAN KELLY SAYING THAT,
% WELL, WE CAN PREDICT HOW YOU
% VOTE, YOU'RE SIGNALING TOO MUCH
% BECAUSE OF WHERE YOUR BACKGROUND
% IS, BUT HE CLAIMS THAT HE'S
% COMPLETELY INDEPENDENT, AND NO
% ONE WILL BE ABLE TO TELL, BUT
% HE'S APPEARED AT TRUMP RALLIES,
% HE'S BEEN ENDORSED BY
% REPUBLICANS, HE WAS APPOINTED BY
% A REPUBLICAN.
% IS IT BETTER TO BE OUT AND OPEN
% ABOUT WHERE YOUR SUPPORT IS OR
% TO PRETEND THAT YOU'RE IN A
% LANE?%>> WELL, PRETENDING YO
U'RE IN A
% LANE IS SO DISINGENUOUS.
% I LOOK AT DAN KELLY, HE WAS
% RECENTLY TOURING THE STATE WITH,
% OF ALL PEOPLE, OF ALL PEOPLE,
% MICHAEL GABELMAN ON AN ELECTION
% INTEGRITY TOUR.
% WHAT WERE THEY TRYING TO DO?
% PEDDLE THE BIG LIE THAT THE 2020
% ELECTION WAS STOLEN.
% WE ALL KNOW THAT ELECTION WASN'T
% STOLEN.
% WE KNOW IN HIS LAST RACE, HE WAS
% DOING SOME OF IF NOT ALL OF HIS
% CAMPAIGNING OUT OF THE
% REPUBLICAN PARTY HEADQUARTERS,
% RIGHT?
% SO, YOU KNOW, WHEN HE MADE THE
% COMMENTS THAT HE MADE AT THE
% FORUM, THEY'RE QUITE FRANKLY
% LAUGHABLE.
% THAT THOSE COULD COME OUT OF HIS
% MOUTH.
% WITH A STRAIGHT FACE.
% >> ANOTHER OPPONENT IN THIS RACE
% IS JENNIFER DOROW, AND SHE
% GAINED FAME THROUGH APPEARING AS
% A JUDGE WITH A LOT OF CELEBRITY
% STATUS.%HOW MUCH SHOULD WE P
UT INTO
% THAT, PUSHING HER NAME
% RECOGNITION FORWARD AND
% ROCKET-FUELING HER CAMPAIGN?
% IS THAT WHAT SHOULD QUALIFY HER
% FOR THE BENCH?
% >> NO, ABSOLUTELY NOT.
% NOW, DARRELL BROOKS, A VERY
% DIFFICULT, SO TO SPEAK,
% DEFENDANT WHO COMMITTED SOME
% VIOLENT, ATROCIOUS CRIMES, NO
% DOUBT ABOUT IT, I'VE TOLD YOU
% I'VE SPENT THREE YEARS IN
% HOMICIDE AND SEXUAL ASSAULT
% COURT, TWO YEARS WITH THOSE DRUG
% DEALERS, A YEAR WITH THOSE
% DOMESTIC VIOLENCE OFFENDERS.
% DARRELL BROOKS' PERSONALITY IS
% NOT A UNIQUE PERSONALITY.
% I'VE SEEN HIS PERSONALITY IN
% COURT OVER AND OVER AND OVER
% WITH THE TYPES OF CASES THAT
% I'VE HANDLED.
% THAT'S OUR JOB AS A JUDGE, TO
% HANDLE THAT TYPE OF PERSONALITY
% AMONGST MANY OTHERS.
% YOU KNOW, MY HOUSE HAS BEEN
% UNDER SURVEILLANCE ON NUMEROUS
% OCCASIONS BECAUSE OF THE TYPES
% OF PEOPLE THAT I DEAL WITH,
% BECAUSE OF THE DEATH THREATS
% THAT, YOU KNOW, I HAVE HAD, YOU
% KNOW, THAT AFFECT MYSELF, MY
% FAMILY, MY NEIGHBORHOOD.
% SO PROPELLING SOMEBODY INTO
% RUNNING DUE TO ONE PARTICULAR
% CASE, I THINK IS WHOLELY
% INAPPROPRIATE.%>> WHAT HAVE Y
OU FELT IN TERMS
% OF THE NATIONAL ATTENTION, GIVEN
% THIS RACE, AND THAT WISCONSIN
% SUPREME COURT RACES USED TO BE
% RELATIVELY SLEEPY, SO TO SPEAK,
% AND NOW WE'VE GOT "NEW YORK
% TIMES" ARTICLES TALKING ABOUT
% THE MOST IMPORTANT RACE YOU
% HAVEN'T HEARD.
% >> YEAH, IT'S REALLY
% INTERESTING, I HAVE TO SAY QUITE
% FRANKLY I WAS SURPRISED,
% BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, I SHARE THAT
% ASSESSMENT.
% USUALLY THESE SUPREME COURT
% RACES ARE KIND OF SLEEPY AND
% IT'S A LITTLE BIT CHALLENGING TO
% GET OUT THE VOTE AND IT A SPRING
% ELECTION, AND IN WISCONSIN WE
% KNOW THAT SPRING ELECTION IS A
% PRIMARY IN FEBRUARY, WHICH IS
% RIGHT IN THE HEART OF WINTER.
% SO YES, I WAS, I WOULD HAVE TO