PRIMARY ELECTION DAY IS
FEBRUARY 18 AND WE TURN NOW TO
OUR INTERVIEW SERIES WITH
CANDIDATES RUNNING FOR THE STATE
SUPREME COURT.
TWO WEEKS AGO, WE TALKED WITH
INCUMBENT JUSTICE DANIEL KELLY,
LAST WEEK MARQUETTE LAW SCHOOL
PROFESSOR ED FALLONE.
TONIGHT WE INTRODUCE YOU TO JILL
KAROFSKY.
SHE CURRENTLY SERVES AS A DANE
COUNTY CIRCUIT COURT JUDGE, THE
FORMER EXECUTIVE OF THE
WISCONSIN OFFICE OF CRIME VICTIM
SERVICES AND SHE'S A FORMER
STATE ASSISTANT ATTORNEY
GENERAL.
JILL KAROFSKY JOINS US NOW.
THANKS VERY MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
>> THANKS SO MUCH FOR HAVING ME
HERE.
>> WE JUST WANT TO ASK YOU WHY
VOTERS SHOULD ELECT YOU TO THE
STATE SUPREME COURT.
>> VOTERS SHOULD ELECT ME
BECAUSE I HAVE THE EXPERIENCE, I
HAVE THE VALUES AND I HAVE THE
ENERGY TO NOT ONLY WIN THIS
ELECTION, BUT TO BE ON THE
SUPREME COURT.
I'M THE ONLY PERSON IN THIS RACE
WHO IS OR WHO HAS EVER BEEN A
TRIAL COURT JUDGE.
I PRESIDED OVER MORE THAN 1700
CASES LAST YEAR.
I SEE EVERY DAY HOW THE LAW
IMPACTS REAL PEOPLE.
I ALSO HAVE EXPERIENCES AS A
PROSECUTOR.
I KNOW HOW TO BE SMART ON CRIME.
I KNOW THE IMPORTANCE OF
PROTECTING INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS OF
VICTIMS, OF WITNESSES, OF
DEFENDANTS, OF MEMBERS OF OUR
COMMUNITY.
I ALSO HAVE BEEN A VICTIM
ADVOCATE, AS YOU MENTIONED.
I WAS WISCONSIN'S FIRST VIOLENCE
AGAINST WOMEN RESOURCE
PROSECUTOR AND I HELPED VICTIMS
IN EVERY COUNTY IN THIS STATE
GET THE SERVICES AND THE HELP
THAT THEY NEEDED.
I HAVE THE DEPTH AND BREATH OF
EXPERIENCE THAT WE NEED ON THE
SUPREME COURT.
>> SAY THAT CURRENTLY
JUSTICES ARE ACTING LIKE
POLITICIANS.
HOW SO?
>> AS I'VE BEEN TRAVELING AROUND
THE STATE LISTENING TO VOTERS, I
HEAR THE SAME THING.
WHAT THEY SEE ARE JUSTICES THAT
MAKE DECISIONS BEFORE ANYONE
EVER WALKS INTO THE STATE
SUPREME COURT CHAMBER.
THEY SEE JUSTICES WHO DO NOT
FOLLOW THE RULE OF LAW, MORE
MORE INTERESTED IN PROTECTING
CORPORATIONS THAN IN PROTECTING
OUR AIR AND WATER FROM CORPORATE
POLLUTERS.
THEY SEE JUSTICES WHO ARE -- ALL
OF THAT FEELS LIKE CORRUPTION TO
PEOPLE, BECAUSE WHAT WE HAVE IS
A JUSTICE ON THE COURT WHO MAKES
DECISIONS EVERY TIME HE HAS THE
OPPORTUNITY TO FOR CORPORATIONS,
FOR THE WEALTHY AND FOR THE
RIGHT WING SPECIAL INTERESTS
THAT WORKED HARD TO GET HIM ON
THE COURT AND IS WORKING HARD TO
KEEP HIM ON THE COURT.
>> WHAT'S AN EXAMPLE OF A CASE
LIKE THAT?
>> IF YOU LOOK AT -- THERE
CASE IN 2016 DEALING WITH THE
ADMINISTRATIVE RULES AT THE
DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC
INSTRUCTION, AT DPI.
AND THE COURT RULED ONE WAY IN
2016.
IN 2019 WITH DAN KELLY ON THE
COURT, THE COURT RULED 180
DEGREES DIFFERENT DIRECTION.
THE ONLY THING THAT CHANGED ON
THE COURT -- AND THIS WAS WHAT
JUSTICE ANNUAL SHALL WALSH-BRADLEY WROTE, THE
ONLY THING THAT CHANGED WAS THE
MAKEUP OF THE COURT.
SO WHAT WE HAVE IS A COURT WHO
WANTS TO CHANGE THE LAW.
HOW ARE WE HE IN WISCONSIN
SUPPOSED TO KNOW WHAT THE LAW IS
IF THREE YEARS AFTER A DECISION
THEY RULE 180 DEGREES THE OTHER
WAY?
>> DO YOU FEEL LIKE RECUSAL
RULES NEED TO BE STRICTER?
>> I THINK WE NEED TO HAVE A
RECUSAL RULE.
WE DON'T HAVE A RULE.
YES.
WE NEED A RULE.
IT'S WHAT'S FAIR TO VOTERS AND
CANDIDATES IN THE STATE.
IT'S WHAT IS FAIR TO JUDGES AND
JUSTICES IN THE STATE.
JUSTICES HAD THE CHANCE TO CRAFT
A RULE WHEN KELLY WAS ON THE
COURT AND THEY DIDN'T EVEN HOLD
A HEARING TO GATHER INFORMATION
TO BE ABLE TO CRAFT A RULE.
>> YOU ARE QUOTED AS SAYING AS
WE NEED TO REFORM THE CRIMINAL
JUSTICE SYSTEM WITH AN EYE
TOWARD SOCIAL JUSTICE?
HOW SO?
>> I DON'T THINK ANYONE WHO HAS
BEEN ON THE FRONT LINES OF THE
JUSTICE SYSTEM LIKE I HAVE --
AND I'M THE ONLY ONE IN THIS
RACE WHO HAS SPENT MOST OF THEIR
CAREERS IN THE FRONT LINES OF
THE JUSTICE SYSTEM.
I DON'T THINK YOU CAN BE THERE
WITHOUT THINKING WE NEED TO
REFORM OUR CRIMINAL JUSTICE
SYSTEM.
AND I THINK THAT THE FIRST THING
WE NEED TO DO IS ADMIT THAT
THERE'S A PROBLEM.
WE DO HAVE A PROBLEM.
WE HAVE A PROBLEM WHEN IT COMES
TO RACIAL DISPARITY IN OUR
CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM.
WE HAVE A PROBLEM IN WISCONSIN
WITH MASS INCARCERATION.
WHAT A JUDGE WHAT I CAN DO IS TO
TAKE STEPS TO TRY TO MITIGATE
THAT PROBLEM.
AND I DO IT IN MY COURTROOM BY
MAKING SURE I'M DIVERTING PEOPLE
TO TREATMENT COURTS, OWI
TREATMENT COURT, DRUG TREATMENT
COURT, VETERANS TREATMENT COURT.
WE HAVE A PROGRAM IN DANE COUNTY
WHERE PEOPLE CAN DO COMMUNITY
SERVICE INSTEAD OF PAYING A FINE
OR GO TO JAIL AND I REFER PEOPLE
THERE EVERY OPPORTUNITY I HAVE.
I CAN'T MAKE POLICY AS A JUDGE.
I CERTAINLY WOULDN'T MAKE POLICY
AS A STATE SUPREME COURT
JUSTICE.
BUT I CAN TELL THE POLICYMAKERS,
THE LEGISLATORS, WHAT I'M SEEING
TO INFORM THEIR DECISIONS.
>> DOES THIS MAKE YOU SOFT ON
CRIME?
>> I DON'T KNOW HOW ANYONE COULD
THINK THAT I'M SOFT ON CRIME.
WHAT I DO IN MY COURTROOM IS I
FOLLOW THE RULE OF LAW EVERY
DAY.
AND IF YOU LOOK AT DECISIONS
THAT I HAVE MADE, YOU WILL SEE A
JUDGE WHO WHEN I'M SENTENCING
PEOPLE RELIES ON THE SENTENCING
FACTORS IN THE STATE OF
WISCONSIN, THE SEVERITY OF THE
CRIME, THE PROTECTING THE
PUBLIC, THE CHARACTER AND
REHABILITATION NEEDS OF THE
OFFENDS
OFFENDS ER.
I BALANCE THOSE AND THAT IS HOW
I COME TO A SENTENCE EVERY
SINGLE TIME.
>> JUSTICE KELLY WAS ENDORSED
THIS WEEK BY PRESIDENT TRUMP.
WHAT'S YOU THAT?
>> I THINK PRESIDENT TRUMP WANTS
DAN KELLY TO BE ON THE WISCONSIN
SUPREME COURT BECAUSE IF AND
WHEN THERE IS LITIGATION IN THE
NOVEMBER ELECTION, HE WILL HAVE
DAN KELLY ON THE COURT AND WE
KNOW BASED ON HIS TRACK RECORD
OF ALL RULING FOR REPUBLICANS
AND RIGHT WING SPECIAL INTERESTS
HOW HE IS GOING TO RULE IN THAT
CASE.
>> DO YOU THINK THAT THE DATE OF
THE PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY FALLING
ON THE SAME DATE AS THE GENERAL
ELECTION FOR THE STATE OR
SUPREME COURT HELPS OR HURTS YOU
IN TERMS OF INTEREST OR TURNOUT?
>> I THINK THAT GETTING PEOPLE
TO THE POLLS NO MATTER WHAT RACE
YOU'RE IN IS HUGELY, HUGELY
IMPORTANT.
OUR JOB IN THIS RACE IS TO MAKE
SURE THAT WHEN PEOPLE GO TO THE
POLLS ON APRIL 7 THAT THEY VOTE
ALL THE WAY THROUGH THAT BALLOT,
THAT THEY VOTE FOR PRESIDENT,
THAT THEY VOTE FOR SUPREME
COURT, THAT THEY VOTE FOR ALL
THEIR LOCAL ELECTIONS AND COURT
OF APPEALS IF THAT'S ON THE
BALLOT FOR THEM AS WELL.
THAT'S OUR JOB IN THIS ELECTION,
TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GET PEOPLE
TO THE POLLS AND THAT THEY VOTE
FOR JILL KAROFSKY FOR SUPREME
COURT.
>> ALL RIGHT.