December 15, 2015
MPA LLC is looking at those Elected in the Executive, Legislative and Judicial areas for 2016.
Highest Incarceration Rate
The city of Milwaukee and county of Milwaukee is the primary focus of regard for "who is running" for the various positions.
Given the Incarceration labels of the city of Milwaukee and Milwaukee County - the death of Dontre Hamilton and other People of Color, behavior of DAs, representation of public defenders, quick plea agreements based on quick moment of the court rather than truth, unclear orders from judges that is injurious and beyond necessity, we are especially interested in who is making the SENTENCING - "Judges".
Some benchmarks are:
- What judges are facing as it relates to trials, evidence at trial, their understanding of the case, their experience of law, and issues of a case as presented in the court?
- The bias and belief of officers and the DA office without proof.
- The presentation of both the Office of the Public Defender's office and the Office of the District Attorney County.
- The validity of evidence that comes from the Clerk's office.
- The failure of the Chief Judge to provide due diligence when complaints are submitted.
- The limitations and lack of understanding of the "jurors" that have not a clue and too often come with wanting to do well but are given misrepresentation of the facts, lack of facts and lack of due diligence by those responsible to providing the case (s) in a non-arbitrary fashion. Therefore, they do not do the job they are summoned to do - DUE PROCESS.
- WE must look at backgrounds of Judges. Look at body of training. Look at the culture and background from whence they come.
Look at the appointment process and where they come from - i.e., where they live, work as an attorney, evolving from the DA office and then right in the position of judge - with the hint of depending on their past colleague - DA office - to provide the truth and believing the word of the DA without question.
We MUST do a better job in the judicial branch of government - WI Supreme Court, Appeal, Circuit level and Municipal. We definitely need to address Truth and Sentencing - 3-strikes - Marijuana and use of drugs. In the Supreme court, we must look at the scandals and how money, party-politics, and ideology is like a train wreck - yet these are the folk that are our highest office of interpretation of law for justice.
Lastly, often we see Endorsements of law enforcement groups for judges running for office. Given the culpability and wrongful behavior that is more and more brought to the public in mass against law enforcement officers - outright murder - institutional racism - continually hiding evidence (i.e., Chicago), We the People, must remind the candidates running for office, that the posting of these groups - in itself - may be a reason for NOT voting for them.
Voting Panel
Moreover, that they should be coming before the People and getting an Endorsement based on their qualifications - knowledge of laws, practices as a jurist, work in People of Color areas (majority of population in city of Milwaukee - highest population sent to prison - highest population of Enduring Concentrated Poverty), opinions in new laws and approaches.
Judges MUST be part of the SOLUTION.
Here are the candidates of Branches 5, 14, 25, 31, 34, 44 & 45. They are:
- MARY KUHHNMUENCH - Branch 5
- CHRISTOPHER FOLEY - Branch 14
- STEPHANIE ROTHSTEIN - Branch 25
- MICHEAL PHILLIPS - Branch 31
- GLENN YAMAHIRO - Branch 34
- GWEN CONNALY - Branch 44
- HANNAH DUGAN - Branch 44
- MICHELLE ACKERMAN HAVAS - Branch 45
- JEAN KIES - Branch 45
