Wis. Supreme Court justice questioned on key votes

[Ellipsis]

Chicago Tribune


A Wisconsin Supreme Court justice twice cast the deciding vote in favor of parties represented by a law firm that gave him tens of thousands of dollars of free legal services, a newspaper is reporting.

One of those cases allowed Gov. Scott Walker to implement a law that effectively eliminated collective bargaining for most public workers, the Milwauke Journal Sentinel reports.

Justice Michael Gableman was in the 4-3 majority that allowed Walker to prevail. The law firm of Michael Best and Friedrich worked for Walker's administration in the collective bargaining case -- and had defended Gableman for free in an ethics case, according to the newspaper.

Gableman also had the deciding vote in an opinion last March that sided with a client of the firm against Milwaukee over tax assessments.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/chi-report-wis-supreme-court-justice-questioned-on-key-votes-20111220,0,174599.story

[StopTheNeoCons]

1. This needs to be spread far and wide

This needs to be spread far and wide

[BeHereNow]

2. I smell toast.

Put a fork in him. He's DONE.
BHN

[qb]

3. I wish SCOTUS would get this kind of scrutiny.

[Judi Lynn]

4. More recent info. on Justice Gableman's generous right-wing patron, Michael Best & Friedrich:

Lawyers caught mapping and then getting plain silly
By Dominique Paul Noth
Editor, Milwaukee Labor Press
Posted December 2, 2011

On Wall Street it’s called insider trading. In retail circles, it’s “bait and switch.” There may not be a similar term in legal circles, but it’s time to coin one, given the behavior of Michael Best & Friedrich.

The law firm shared $400,000 in taxpayer money when hired to create a redistricting plan for the state legislature and the congressional districts. It heeded its GOP masters, designing new districts that so strongly favor continuing Republican control that many Democrats don’t expect to win -- if the new maps survive both federal and state court challenges of considerable weight.

But there was one explicit line in the redistricting bill vetted by these lawyers “with respect to special or recall elections.” The law would apply “to offices filled or contested concurrently with the 2012 general election."

But then Michael Best etc pretended those words weren’t there. Whatever its past reputation for quiet maneuvering, it had become the definition of chutzpah – the kid who kills his parents and then pleads to the judge for mercy on the grounds that he is an orphan.

More:
http://www.milwaukeelabor.org/in_the_news/article.cfm?n_id=00214

[Scuba]

5. They already investigated Gableman for ethics. None were found. n/t

[WillParkinson]

6. When I saw the header....

I knew it would be Mr. Gabelman. So stupid.

[Islandlife]

7. So should we be able to subpoena the SCJ as Newt suggests?

If this Supreme Court Justice is subpoenaed but chooses not to appear, could he be arrested for noncompliance as Newt Gingritch has suggested?

[lonestarnot]

16. Elected, not appointed.

Can be recalled. See post 9

[Islandlife]

17. Good point

So the elected justice will be held accountable by his constituents. He can be voted out.

Should appointed judges also be held accountable by means of subpoena? Or other?

I'm tying to understand if there are really any checks and balances of the supreme court. Thanks.

[Angry Dragon]

8. Did he claim these funds on his income tax??

Sounds like it may be a federal case..............

[Ellipsis]

9. Think Progress Justice Who Upheld Gov. Anti-Union Law Received Over $10k Worth Of Free Services

Gableman joined the state supreme court in 2008 after corporate lobbyists and other right-wing groups spent $1.3 million to elect him to his current job. Wisconsin voters are far from powerless against Gableman’s casual approach to judicial ethics, however. Because Gableman has served more than a year of his current term in elected office, Wisconsin election law allows him to be recalled.

http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2011/12/20/392885/justice-who-upheld-gov-walkers-anti-union-law-received-over-10k-worth-of-free-services-from-walkers-law-firm/

It was a one nasty campaign. One of the first in this state where the supreme campaign was bought.

[myrna minx]

10. K&R n/t

[Ellipsis]

12. kick

[L. Coyote]

13. Ethics Investigation in order.

Should be an interesting story for a while. This could change the court perhaps.

[leftyohiolib]

19. yea but it wont cause of the rule: iokiyar

[lonestarnot]

14. K & R!

[Ellipsis]

15. Thank you, lonestarnot.

[Uncle Joe]

18. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, Ellipsis.