Wisconsin

Fired worker sues ex-employer, says he was illegally terminated for having a gun in his vehicle

A Wisconsin man has sued his now-former employer, contending he was illegally fired because he kept a gun in his parked vehicle at his workplace, as allowed by his concealed-carry permit and state law. Alleging that Kolbe & Kolbe Millwork Co. Inc. terminated him after a human resources representative asked…

Jul 17, 2014 2:50 PM CDT

Girl, 12, charged in ‘Slender Man’ attempted-murder case is incompetent, doctors agree

One of two 12-year-old Wisconsin girls charged as adults with stabbing a 12-year-old friend 19 times after a sleepover is incompetent to stand trial, doctors for both the government and the defense agree. They will now evaluate her mental condition at the time of the crime, setting the stage for…

Jul 2, 2014 8:45 PM CDT

Wisconsin man charged with voting multiple times claims amnesia

The old phrase “vote early and vote often” is associated with the corrupt political machines that were active in many major cities during the 19th century. In the last couple of years, one Wisconsin voter may have taken that phrase to heart, allegedly exercising his civic duty multiple times in…

Jun 30, 2014 4:50 PM CDT

Small claims loss morphs into bigger case for man accused of threatening judge

An adverse ruling in small claims court earlier this month has been transformed into a significantly bigger case for George Bennett. The 55-year-old Wisconsin man is now facing criminal charges, accused of leaving threatening and harassing voice mail messages for the judge in the Dane County small claims case during…

Jun 24, 2014 7:40 PM CDT

Which laws are unworthy of defense? Four candidates for Wisconsin attorney general list them

Four lawyers running for Wisconsin attorney general have a list of laws they won’t defend. The three Democratic candidates won’t defend or appeal rulings striking down the state’s ban on gay marriage, its voter ID law or recent restrictions on abortion, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports. The Republican candidate won’t…

Jun 16, 2014 12:59 PM CDT

Lawyers for girls, 12, charged in murder-attempt case seek transfer to juvenile court

Lawyers representing two 12-year-old Wisconsin girls who are charged as adults with attempted first-degree murder in the stabbing of a friend after a sleepover are seeking to have their cases transferred to juvenile court. One of the two girls will also undergo a competency test in the Waukesha County Circuit…

Jun 12, 2014 2:45 PM CDT

Former prosecutor gets 4-month suspension for sexting crime victim

The Wisconsin Supreme Court has suspended former longtime Calumet County district attorney Ken Kratz for sexting a woman whose former boyfriend he was prosecuting for abusing her, and for lewd comments to social workers involved in other cases, the Associated Press reports. Kratz, who has filed for bankruptcy, was also…

Jun 6, 2014 6:30 PM CDT

2 girls, 12, face first-degree murder-attempt case; police say they hoped to please horror character

Two 12-year-old girls in Waukesha, Wisconsin, are facing attempted first-degree murder charges, as adults, after police say they stabbed a 12-year-old friend 19 times after a Friday home sleepover in celebration of a birthday. Given permission by the mom in charge to go play in a nearby park the next…

Jun 3, 2014 6:19 PM CDT

Becker-Posner Blog shutters after Gary Becker’s death | Ready for chip-and-pin credit cards?

Nobel Prize-winning economist and University of Chicago professor Gary Becker died last week at the age of 83, and over the weekend, The Becker-Posner Blog said “farewell” with no other commentary. Other law bloggers paid their respects. “Becker pioneered the application of economic analysis to questions that were previously considered…

May 16, 2014 1:30 PM CDT

‘Lemon law king’ seeks writ of mandamus requiring state to follow old law until new forms are ready

A Wisconsin lawyer who considers himself the “lemon law king” filed a writ of mandamus petition against the state Thursday. It concerns a revised version of the statute limiting the recourse previously offered to consumers who purchase defective motor vehicles. Arguing that the state Department of Transportation is not providing…

May 15, 2014 9:50 PM CDT

First Amendment ruling halting campaign spending probe in Wisconsin is back in effect

Updated: A federal judge who halted a probe of coordinated campaign spending in Wisconsin based on First Amendment concerns acted quickly after a federal appeals court stayed his decision. The Chicago-based 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals issued its stay on Wednesday, the day after the initial decision by U.S.…

May 8, 2014 12:09 PM CDT

Citing First Amendment, federal judge shuts down Wisconsin probe of coordinated campaign spending

A federal judge has issued a preliminary injunction shutting down an investigation of alleged campaign spending violations by Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker’s campaign and conservative groups during recall elections. Citing the First Amendment right to political speech, U.S. District Judge Rudolph Randa of Milwaukee ruled (PDF) on behalf of the…

May 7, 2014 2:13 PM CDT

Court revokes law license for former BigLaw partner convicted of stealing from elderly client

The Wisconsin Supreme Court has revoked the law license of a former Quarles & Brady partner convicted in 2012 of stealing $370,000 from an elderly client with dementia. The court made the license revocation for Jeffrey Elverman effective on March 25, which means he will not be able to seek…

Mar 27, 2014 7:34 PM CDT

Woman charged in claimed murder-for-hire plot against attorney boyfriend

The fiancée of a Wisconsin lawyer is in jail in lieu of a $250,000 cash bond, standing accused of offering $1,000 and sexual favors to a police informant to shoot the lawyer to death at his law office. Charged in the claimed murder-for-hire plot against the unidentified attorney is Jessica…

Mar 6, 2014 7:04 PM CST

Law firm won’t split $250K check with attorney’s estate, says his suicide voided fee-share agreement

After Ira Bordow committed suicide at his Wisconsin home last year, his brother found a $250,000 check from an insurance company on the front seat of the dead man’s Lexus. It was made out to Bordow and Styles & Pumpian, the law firm with which the 54-year-old practitioner had been…

Feb 24, 2014 7:30 PM CST