The Wisconsin Judicial Commission this week dismissed a complaint filed by the former state court chief after he was removed from office by four liberal justices on the Wisconsin Supreme Court, according to documents released to The Associated Press on Thursday. .
Three of the four targeted judges fired back on Thursday, accusing the former court president of violating the law by making the complaint public. By law, complaints to the commission must be kept confidential unless the person being investigated makes them public.
Randy Koschnick filed a complaint against each of the judges who fired him in August. He also filed a complaint against his successor, former Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Audrey Skwirowski. Koschnick spoke publicly about the complaints at the time.
Former Wisconsin chief justice sues over successor after change in Supreme Court control
Liberal Justices Rebecca Durrett, Jill Karofsky and Janet Protasiewicz said in a letter provided to The Associated Press that the committee should reprimand Kosnick or take other disciplinary action. said.
Wisconsin electors gather to cast their votes at the Wisconsin State Capitol on December 14, 2020 in Madison, Wisconsin. The Wisconsin Judicial Commission this week dismissed a complaint filed by Wisconsin's former chief justice, according to released documents. After he was removed by four liberal justices on the Wisconsin Supreme Court. (Reuters/Daniel Acker)
Koschnick said Thursday that he believes he has a First Amendment right to speak about his grievances. He said he had a “civil and moral obligation” to file charges.
“The discipline is baseless,” Koshnick told The Associated Press. “I didn't do anything wrong.”
Koschnick argued in his lawsuit that Skwirowski cannot legally hold office until July 2025 because the state constitution prohibits judges from holding non-judicial office until their terms expire.
However, the commission's executive director, Jeremiah Van Hecke, said in a letter to each of the four judges that the commission found no wrongdoing in Skwilavski's employment. In a letter to Skwilavski's lawyers, Van Hecke said the commission would dismiss the charges because he resigned as a judge on December 31 and is no longer under the commission's jurisdiction. Then he said.
In a letter to the Judiciary Committee on Thursday, Ms. Squieravski's attorney, Matthew O'Neill, said that Ms. Squieravski was waiving the confidentiality of her complaint in order to clear her name.
O'Neill said, “She is gratified by the commission's confirmation that her decision to serve the people of Wisconsin as interim state court chief justice was legally, constitutionally, and ethically sound. “The gender has been proven.''
Mr. Skwilavski declined to comment.
In a letter to the commission, the judges accused Koschnick of publicity stunting by publishing his complaint. Judge Anne Walsh Bradley, who was the subject of the dismissed complaint, did not join three of his colleagues in his reply letter.
Justices Durrett, Protasiewicz, and Karofsky wrote that “Judge Kosnick's bizarre conduct is nothing more than a partisan attempt to undermine the court's authority to appoint a successor.”
By taking no action against Mr. Kosnick, the three justices wrote, the commission “continues to be an arrow in the crosshairs of partisan activists and undermines public confidence in the judiciary.”
Wisconsin Supreme Court Republican lawmakers grill judicial ethics commissioner
The Chief Justice is Wisconsin's top non-judicial court official and advises the Supreme Court on improvements to the court process, as well as overseeing the court's budget and operations.
Koschnick, a former judge, was appointed to the position by the court's conservative majority in 2017.
In December, the justices voted to make Skwilavski, who was originally named interim court president, permanent chief.
The Wisconsin Supreme Court switched to liberal rule in August following Protašević's victory in the April election.
The new liberal majority immediately launched sweeping reforms, including voting to sharply curtail the power of the conservative chief justice and scrapping the congressional map drawn by Republicans last month.
