Claims on Wisconsin Supreme Court docket candidates — and the details

Studying Time: 3 minutes

Forward of their solely scheduled debate, Wisconsin Watch has fact-checked 10 claims in regards to the backgrounds and positions of the Wisconsin Supreme Court docket candidates, liberal Dane County Circuit Decide Susan Crawford and conservative Waukesha County Circuit Decide Brad Schimel.

The televised debate is Wednesday. The election is April 1.

Right here’s a have a look at positions the candidates have taken on immigration, the Jan. 6 riot, abortion, Act 10 and extra, in addition to at some legal instances they dealt with.

Did Schimel say he had ‘no objection’ to Jan. 6 pardons issued by Donald Trump?

No. 

Schimel has stated he helps presidential use of pardons, however that rioters who have been violent on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, shouldn’t have been pardoned. Crawford claimed Schimel had no objection to Trump’s “blanket pardons.”

Has Crawford supported stopping deportations and defending sanctuary cities?

No. 

There’s no available proof to again a Republican assault advert that claimed Crawford has supported stopping deportations of unlawful immigrants or defending sanctuary cities, which restrict how a lot they assist authorities with deportations.

Did Crawford sentence a toddler intercourse offender to 4 years in jail after a prosecutor requested 10 years?

Sure.

In 2020, Crawford sentenced a Dane County man to 4 years in jail and 6 years of probation after a prosecutor requested 10 years in jail and 5 years of probation. The protection had requested solely probation. The person was charged with touching a 6-year-old lady’s privates in a membership swimming pool in 2010 and with twice touching a 7-year-old lady’s privates in the identical pool on in the future in 2018.

Crawford stated the crimes occurring years aside made the person a repeat offender, requiring jail, however have been much less severe than different sexual assaults, and that 10 years was longer than wanted for rehabilitation.

Has Schimel supported Wisconsin’s 1849 abortion legislation?

Sure.

Schimel has campaigned supporting the legislation, which bans abortion besides to guard the mom’s life, asking “what’s flawed” about it. He recalled in 2012 supporting an argument to keep up the legislation, to make abortion unlawful if Roe v. Wade have been overturned.

Schimel has additionally stated Wisconsin residents ought to resolve “by referendum or by their elected legislature on what they need the legislation to say” on abortion.

Was a sexual assault convict freed after Crawford’s workplace did not file an enchantment?

Sure.

In 2001, whereas Crawford led the state Justice Division’s appeals unit, a lawyer within the unit failed to fulfill a courtroom deadline, leading to a intercourse offender being freed two years into his seven-year jail sentence.

Did Schimel attempt to repeal the Reasonably priced Care Act?

Sure.

In 2018, Schimel helped lead a failed 20-state lawsuit that sought to have Obamacare dominated unconstitutional.

Did Schimel supply a plea deal to a person whose legal professional contributed to Schimel’s marketing campaign?

Sure.

As Waukesha County’s district legal professional, Schimel supplied a plea deal to a person charged with possession of kid pornography. Within the yr earlier than Schimel gained the state legal professional normal’s election, in 2014, the person’s lawyer made month-to-month contributions to Schimel’s marketing campaign totaling $5,500. In change for the person pleading responsible to the cost, in 2015, Schimel agreed to not file extra costs and advisable the obligatory minimal three-year jail sentence, which is what was imposed.

Did Wisconsin taxpayers pay $1.6 million over an abortion restriction legislation that was dominated unconstitutional?

Sure. 

Authorized charges totaling $1.6 million have been paid to Deliberate Parenthood and others who sued over a 2013 Wisconsin legislation that was dominated an unconstitutional restriction on abortion entry. Schimel was liable for a number of the prices. He turned state legal professional normal in 2015 and pursued appeals of the ruling.

Did Crawford attempt to overturn Act 10?

Sure.

Crawford was amongst attorneys who sued searching for to overturn the 2011 legislation, which successfully ended collective bargaining for many Wisconsin public worker unions. Act 10 spurred mass protests for weeks in Madison and has saved taxpayers billions of {dollars}.

Has Crawford opposed Wisconsin’s voter ID legislation?

Sure.

Crawford was certainly one of three legal professionals in a 2011 lawsuit difficult the requirement, which the state Supreme Court docket rejected. In 2016, she stated the legislation could be “acceptable” if voters may signal an affidavit swearing to their id moderately than offering proof of identification. In 2018, she referred to as the legislation “draconian.”