COVER FEATURES
by B.C. Kowalski
JUDICIAL CONTEST
Two local attorneys have their eye on a circuit court judicial seat separating them is a challenge
Nancy Stencil and county board supervisor Jeff Johnson. Harris’s endorsements are fewer, though they include Marathon County judges (none of Cveykus’ endorsements are from Marathon County Circuit Court judges). He points out that though fewer, all his endorsements left personal messages, such as Jill Falstad, former District Attorney and later circuit court judge. She is now retired.
Backgrounds
Cveykus
Harris
It’s been something of a trend lately that even non-partisan races could hardly be called so in reality, even if technically true. With parties on both sides getting involved in spurring candidates to run for local office, something that kicked into high gear as Donald Trump was elected president, local races are much different than they used to be. Which makes the race for Marathon County Judge of Branch 2 so interesting. County Board Supervisor and Judicare attorney William Harris is running against private defense attorney Ricky Cveykus. In that, and in talking with both candidates, it’s not easy to draw ideological differences between the two. And both respect and like each other, they say; it’s been a cordial political campaign. Both are the same age: 39. Neither, for instance, believes that a judge should bring ideology into the courtroom or legislate from the bench. Both acknowledge, however, a very important role a judge plays in the broader criminal justice conversation. While the day-to-day operations are very important, the role of shaping how criminal justice is handled in the county is also an important part of being a judge. Both in their interviews with City Pages acknowledged the issues of court backlogs spurred further by the pandemics. There are a number of causes of the court backlog,
Cveykus tells City Pages, from the pandemic to prosecutors dropping a hundred pages of discovery right before a trial to defendants playing games such as firing their attorney right before a trial to buy time. And the delays in getting some clients a defense attorney. Limited resources in both the district attorney’s and public defender’s office also add to the court burden. And, Harris adds, those have an impact on both victims and defendants. He pushes diversion programs for that very reason — not just for the taxpayer relief (more court delays equal more time in jail taxpayers are paying for as well as the strain it puts on the system). This isn’t Cveykus’ first run at a judge position — he ran for Third District Appeals Court judge this time last year. Though Cveykus doesn’t prescribe himself to a partisan ideology and counts people of conservative and liberal leanings amongst his friends, he found himself outgunned financially by a conservative candidate with heavy GOP backing. Cveykus says he was a bit politically naive in that race. He assumed he could run a non-political campaign and that would keep politics out of it. So much for that. Cvekyus points to his endorsements, which are pretty numerous, as evidence of that. He’s got conservatives such as Sheriff Parks and Kevin Hermening, and liberals such as
Vision
Both candidates see a strong role of judges in shaping and improving the Marathon County Criminal Justice system. Cveykus says his ability to sit down with people of all ideologies and political backgrounds, while keeping nonpartisan himself, gives him a leg up. He cites as an example a situation where he learned defendants were spending an extra day in jail — only the first full day was being counted. JUDICIAL continues on 10
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Harris grew up in Florida, the son of a Baptist Deacon and his mother a former educator who helped with the church finances. Cveykus grew up in the Wausau area, the son of farmers and graduated from D.C. Everest High School. Both candidates cite their family’s farming background in them being raised to value hard work. Cveykus earned his law degree from UW-Madison. Harris earned his law degree from Thomas M Cooley in Lansing, Mich. after earning his bachelor’s from the University of Tampa and being selected to study at Oxford in England as part of an honors program. Cveykus has coached the mock trial program at D.C. Everest and has taught part-time at UW-Madison, teaching criminal law, constitutional law and the first amendment. He’s a managing partner with Cveykus Law practicing criminal, family and small claims. Harris works in Judicare’s civil unit, representing “victims of domestic and child abuse, sexual assualt, low-income clients facing homelessness, as well as clients facing employment discrimination in the 33 Northern Counties in Wisconsin” according to his website. He’s also represented clients in tribal court cases.
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March 17-24, 2022
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