Meet Jill Karofsky, Wisconsin Supreme Court Candidate

MILWAUKEE, WI — Wisconsin's spring 2020 spring primary will be held Tuesday, Feb. 18 to whittle the candidates down in advance of the general election.

Longtime circuit court judge and lawyer, Jill Karofsky will be on the ballot as one of three people running for a seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court.

"I’m the only candidate in the race who has experience as a trial court judge, as a prosecutor, and as a victim advocate. I’m the only candidate who has both significant criminal AND civil experience. I’m the strongest candidate to return this seat to the people," she wrote.

Karofsky said she has seen the Wisconsin Supreme Court become highly politicized and favors returning honor and dignity to the court by closely adhering to the rule of law.

"It’s distressing to me that we live in a time when far-right political forces seek to roll back the advances in civil and human rights we’ve made in the last few generations. I want to continue to defend the rights of all Wisconsinites. I can best do that by becoming a Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice," she told Patch. "We need to get our state and our country back on track. Too many current justices see themselves as agents of conservative ideology and as agents of the Republican Party. I don’t hold with that point of view. We need leaders who will put our strong Wisconsin political tradition of independent and honest courts first."

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Name: Jill Karofsky

Age: 53

Hometown: Middleton, WI

Occupation: Circuit Court Judge

Political Experience

I have been a lawyer for almost 30 years. I served for almost two decades as a state and local prosecutor and crime victim advocate, focused on justice for crime victims, especially women and children. I prosecuted cases involving domestic violence and sexual assault, and served as Wisconsin’s first statewide Violence Against Women Resource Prosecutor, as well as Director of the WI Office of Crime Victim Services.

It was my honor to receive the “Outstanding Victim Advocate” Award from the Wisconsin Victim Witness Association, and the “Voices of Courage Award” from the Wisconsin Coalition Against Sexual Assault.

I’m the only candidate in the race who has experience as a trial court judge, as a prosecutor, and as a victim advocate. I’m the only candidate who has both significant criminal AND civil experience. I’m the strongest candidate to return this seat to the people.

Experience matters when running a campaign or considering the law. I’ve seen how the law affects real people in real situations. This makes me a better judge, and will make me a better Supreme Court Justice. My opponents cannot say the same.

Top issues, and how I would address them if elected:

Corruption. We have to root out the appearance of corruption that surrounds our Supreme Court. Wisconsinites have to trust that their judges are going to follow the rule of law and not bend to the whims of their campaign donors. I intend to lead by example, and return honor and dignity to the court.

Values. Unfortunately, the courts have become wildly politicized, to our detriment. We need judges and justices who will uphold the rule of law and treat every litigant fairly and honestly, applying the constitution and statutes to today’s world. I will not concern myself with what partisan right-wing special interests and politicians would like the outcome of cases to be.

An interesting fact about myself:

I am a 2-time Ironman triathlete and I run 50-mile ultra-marathons. I have a daughter in college and a son in high school, and a one-eyed golden retriever named Cleo.