The Wisconsin Judicial Commission filed a complaint Thursday against state Supreme Court Justice Annette K. Ziegler. The state Supreme Court will now look at the case and, for the first time in its history, have to decide on one of its own member's case.
The ruling comes after Ziegler violated ethics laws when she failed to disclose a conflict of interest when deciding cases regarding the West Bend Savings Bank.
The commission found Ziegler did not benefit financially from her review of the cases and that no case involved was decided incorrectly. Ziegler agreed with the Commission in its decision that a formal reprimand was the appropriate punishment.
I know I should have been more careful,"" Ziegler said in a statement. ""I have taken many steps to make sure a similar mistake does not happen in the future.""
The commission also dismissed a different complaint against Ziegler concerning cases in which she or her husband held stock in a company involved. The dismissal was done with ""an expression of warning,"" according to the letter sent to Ziegler.
Mike McCabe, director of the watchdog group Wisconsin Democracy Campaign, said he was disappointed in the commission's overall recommendation of a reprimand.
The WDC filed an ethics complaint with the commission before Ziegler was elected to the state Supreme Court over Madison attorney Linda Clifford last spring.
A more severe action would send a clearer message to other judges regarding the ethics code, according to McCabe.
""A reprimand is a very light tap on the wrist,"" McCabe said. ""A suspension would do the trick.""
The previous race between Ziegler and Clifford also continues to shape the upcoming April election for the seat currently held by state Supreme Court Justice Louis Butler, according to McCabe.
The high level of spending by outside interest groups and the ""ugly tenor"" of the previous election is likely to discourage prospective candidates from running to challenge Butler, McCabe said.
Sun Prairie Attorney Charlie Schutze is currently the only candidate challenging Butler for the seat. Schutze said he is offering himself as a ""conservative alternative"" to the incumbent.
McCabe said the large amounts of powerful interest groups that endorsed Ziegler have not yet endorsed Schutze, who only announced his candidacy last week. The lobbyist groups may not endorse a candidate until they feel confident he or she could defeat Butler, according to McCabe.
