- We move now from state capitol politics to the race for
state Supreme Court and our series of interviews with
candidates running in the February primary.
Candidate Tim Burns and candidate Michael Screnock have
appeared in recent programs.
Tonight we speak with Rebecca Dallet.
Judge Dallet has presided as a Milwaukee County Judge since her
election in 2008.
Prior to that, she spent 11 years as an assistant district
attorney in Milwaukee County.
I spoke to Judge Dallet earlier.
Judge Dallet, thanks very much for joining us.
- Thank you for having me.
- Well, first, of course, we just want to ask why are you
running for Supreme Court justice?
- I'm running for Supreme Court justice, Frederica,
because our rights are under attack, our civil rights.
Every day, tweet by tweet.
Our right to clean air and water.
Our right to equal protection, women's rights.
And we've got a broken Supreme Court.
And what we need is someone with experience and values to stand
up and repair that court.
I have been a judge for a decade,
a prosecutor for more than a decade,
really fighting for our rights in court.
And I want to continue that fight on our Supreme Court.
- Why do you believe that you would be the best
among the candidates?
- Well, I really do think it comes down to experience.
I have been, as I said, a prosecutor.
I prosecuted sexual predator cases in two counties.
And now as a judge for almost a decade, I have heard 10,
000 cases, 230 jury trials, experience that is really
unparalleled between me and my opponents.
And experience matters.
I hear the day-to-day struggles Wisconsinites face.
I see moms like me struggling to make ends meet,
yet still losing their houses.
I see communities ravaged by our opioid crisis, by gun violence.
And I see our neighbors who are trying to get back on the right
track, yet trapped in a criminal justice system
that needs some reform.
And this kind of experience matters.
This is experience that matters in terms of protecting our
values and in terms of advancing policies that will level the
playing field.
- Now, Judge Screnock says that the role of the high court is to
interpret and apply the law and not to,
"legislate from the bench." He tells me that you do not share
that view.
What is your view, your so-called judicial philosophy?
One of activism to enact social or political change or one of
restraint?
- Well, the job of a judge, as I do it every day,
is to apply the law.
Understanding that the law involves our constitution and
also involves the rights that we all care about and the rights
that make Wisconsin great and those are the things that I hold
dear and will protect, as I have,
for my service in our courts.
- Well, is that legislating from the bench,
as Judge Screnock would suggest?
- Well, we have our roles as judges.
We are not a legislature.
But we also have a duty to uphold the Constitution of both
the United States and Wisconsin.
And when that Constitution has been violated,
that's when we are a check on those legislators.
- And so what's your reaction to Judge Screnock saying that
you do not share his view of this just interpreting and
applying the law as written?
- Well, my response to that is that I-- again,
I go back to the experience that I have had every day in our
courts.
I have been working as a judge for almost a decade,
which is a very long time, much longer than my one opponent who
is not a judge and Judge Screnock,
and really I know what it's like every day to look at the facts,
to apply the law and to reach decisions that are fair and just
and to make sure that we have a level playing field
for everyone in our state.
- Now, another of your challengers running for the seat
openly brings his progressive politics to the race and says
that it is a fairytale that Wisconsin
justices are apolitical.
What's your response to that?
- I go back to the fact that the two things that matter in
this race are values and experience.
And I am the only candidate that has both of those.
The values that we need to protect the things we hold dear,
the things we-- that we care about that make our state great
and the experience to actually stand up and protect those
rights.
- What's your position on whether Wisconsin justices
should have to recuse themselves from cases involving those who
give them money during campaigns?
- I feel very strongly that we need a strong recusal rule in
our state.
We need to be confident in our courts.
The fact that millions of dollars were spent on buying a
justice or justice in the past, where justices did then not
recuse themselves when that money was sitting in front of
them as a party in the case.
That is a symptom of a broken system.
And I feel strongly we should have a recusal rule in the
state.
- So even though under current rules you would not be required
to recuse, would you in those cases if someone came before you
that had contributed to your campaign?
- Where there are massive amounts of money spent on a
candidate, absolutely there should be recusal of that
candidate to make sure that everyone understands that our
courts are fair and places where people can get justice.
- So interestingly you said when there are massive amounts
of money, which of course there's been a lot of money in
these court campaigns, but what's the definition of that for you?
- Well, we need to have a hearing.
That's the first thing we need to do.
And there was a petition put forward by judges to have a
hearing in front of the Supreme Court to let's talk about what
that means, exactly what you're asking.
And instead of having a hearing, the Supreme Court refused to
have a hearing and then the Supreme Court put those hearings
in secret.
And now those hearings, those rule hearings that used to be
public are no longer public.
So we've got to start by having a hearing.
Let's have input from the people in our community who care.
- Very quickly, lastly, which sitting Wisconsin Supreme Court
justice do you most admire?
- I most admire Ann Walsh-Bradley.
I admire her ability to make sure we keep the courts fair and
just in upholding the law.
And I admire her.
I also want to add as well I've gotten great support from judges
across the state, over 175 at this point,
and I think that that is something that speaks highly to
my being the most qualified for this position.
- Thank you very much. - Thank you.
- The primary election for the state Supreme Court race
is February 20.