Joseph Sommers for Wisconsin Supreme Court

Former twice-elected Wisconsin Superintendent of Public Instruction, John Benson, endorses Joe Sommers.

“I followed closely the proceedings in the Raisbeck case, attending many of the hearings, including the trial. What I saw shocked me and scares me yet today. What the courts were allowing the Dane County District Attorney's Office to get away with was disturbing. Equally disturbing was their contention that none of this would affect Adam Raisbeck's right to a fair trial and due process. Luckily for Adam Raisbeck, he was represented by someone with great conviction and courage, someone willing to risk his career in order that justice be done. And thank God for Adam Raisbeck's sake, this someone, Joe Sommers, is a pretty skilled trial attorney as well.

We need to make sure that our courts are concerned foremost about justice. We need foremost to elect Wisconsin Supreme Court justices with integrity. We cannot do better than Joe Sommers, and I urge my fellow citizens to assist me in electing Joe Sommers to the Wisconsin Supreme Court.”

What Wisconsin's Major Newspapers Won't Tell You

As a practicing attorney, I have been outspoken in my belief that the integrity of the Wisconsin courts is in jeopardy. I recognize that what is going on in Dane County may not be prevalent statewide. However, left unchecked, these practices are likely to extend elsewhere. And, by definition, what happens in Dane County affects the rest of the State. I believe two trends are frightening to any right-minded person. These are:

1. a growing indifference to the evil of wrongful convictions; and
2. prosecutions possibly being commenced as favors for the financial benefit of legal insiders.

Many in the health care profession were outraged that Julie Thao, a Nurse at St. Mary's Hospital in Madison, was charged criminally for a medication error which caused the death of a young woman. Disinformation in the media coverage obscured the fact that a conviction greatly impacts the medical malpractice claim by 1) providing a way to evade statutory caps; and 2) providing the personal injury attorney with extreme leverage he would not otherwise have! Why this prosecution and other similar prosecutions were actually commenced is something the public has the right to know. Is it about justice or is it about somebody financially benefiting from the criminal conviction? The public interest demands an answer.

The Wisconsin Office of Lawyer Regulation (OLR), under the ultimate auspices of the Wisconsin Supreme Court, appears to want this question avoided at all costs. If OLR is permitted to take such extraordinary steps to prevent outrageous misconduct from being exposed while simultaneously filing falsified complaints against attorneys, such as me, seeking a public inquiry, is not the very integrity of the Wisconsin courts in jeopardy?

Vote for Joe Sommers on February 20th and April 3rd.