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State Supreme Court candidates hold forum
State Supreme Court candidates hold forum
MADISON (WITI) -- There is a seat up for grabs on Wisconsin's Supreme Court, and on Thursday, February 7th, three Supreme Court candidates debated -- and the conversation kept returning to controversy on the court.
On Thursday, Supreme Court candidates Ed Fallone, Vince Megna and Justice Pat Roggensak went head-to-head at a forum, and the topic that kept coming up was collegiality on the court.
"It's completely dysfunctional. We've all the incivility, the personal sniping in the opinions, the inability of the justices to get along," Fallone said.
"It's causing significant problems in the state," Megna said.
"It's gossip at its worst," Justice Roggensak said.
This controversy stemmed from a choking incident in 2011. The Wisconsin Judicial Commission accused Justice David Prosser of violating judicial ethics when he allegedly placed his hands around Justice Ann Walsh Bradley's neck during an argument last year in front of four other justices.
This incident has marred the court, and each candidate had an idea of how to fix it.
"You try to seek common ground and you always focus on the institution's interest, ahead of your own personal interest," Fallone said.
"We've got to lighten up. I want the court to become friendly with each other. I want them to work as a team of seven," Megna said.
Justice Roggensak says butting heads are not getting in the way of getting work done.
This was the only debate leading into the February 19th primary election, when three candidates will be whittled down to two. The general election is set for April 2nd.