Brayden Myer
Elizabeth Fitzgibbon, who ran to represent Wisconsin’s 6th Congressional District as an independent, has announced a statewide effort to hold judges accountable and address problems in the state’s judicial system. She calls this effort From One Judgment, a Movement — Wisconsin Judicial Accountability Initiative.
The initiative will begin locally in Winnebago County through Fitzgibbon’s intention to pursue the recall of Winnebago County Circuit Court Judges Bryan Keberlein, Michael Rust, and Scott Woldt. During this, she will be developing an accountability framework to be used across the state, including potential recall efforts.
Fitzgibbon plans to organize statewide Zoom roundtables in the coming weeks. “I want to hear from people throughout Wisconsin who have experienced judicial conduct they believe warrants serious scrutiny,” she said. “People with records and documentation, people who have tried to pursue accountability through existing channels, and attorneys who may have witnessed troubling conduct or experienced pressures they believe make it difficult to challenge judicial incumbents.”
Fitzgibbon says this initiative goes beyond the experiences of individual litigants. It is intended to address the health and integrity of the judiciary.
For anyone who wants to join this effort Fitzgibbon plans to “help develop the message and coordinate the effort, but this cannot depend on one person or one county. It will take people throughout Wisconsin working together.” This will include bringing documented concerns to local media, elected officials, and communities.
Her initiative stems from what she believes is a serious constitutional oversight gap in family court. She sent her concerns in a memorandum to every member of Congress and every member of the Wisconsin Assembly.
She met with her assemblyman, Dean Kaufert, about this concern. As the Wisconsin assembly has the power to start impeachment proceedings with public officers, including judges, for corrupt conduct in office or crimes and misdemeanors, she requested for impeachment proceedings to begin. Kaufert did not show interest in starting such proceedings with the reasoning being that they have never done that before and judges were too powerful for people in his circles to want to take them on. He instead suggested she begin a public recall campaign.
Fitzgibbon believes with Rep. Kaufert not wanting to take up impeachment proceedings, that is moving the responsibility from the legislature to the people. She stated that “just because something has never been done doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be.” She pointed out if judges become too powerful for legislators to be willing to hold them accountable, the problem is the legislators are not using the checks and balances made available to them to hold judges accountable.
“If the Legislature will not take the lead, then citizens can organize, examine the evidence, and exercise the accountability powers available to them,” she said. She also stated, “The people should know they have the power to remove them when the circumstances warrant it.”
Fitzgibbon also points toward concerns attorneys may have that prevent them from challenging incumbents. “Wisconsin has attorneys with the experience, judgment, and qualifications to serve as judges, but if qualified people believe challenging an incumbent could put their professional futures at risk, that can have a chilling effect on who is willing to step forward. Recall is not only about removing judges when the circumstances warrant it. It’s also about making room for new leadership and reinforcing that judicial office is a public trust—not a protected position. The goal isn’t to replace one set of untouchable officials with another. It’s to make sure no one who holds judicial power ever believes they’re untouchable in the first place.” She also says, “We want transparency, we want answers, and we want accountability that applies regardless of someone’s title, connections, or position.”
“This bigger than a political party,” Fitzgibbon states. “Whether you’re a Republican, Democrat, independent, or someone who has simply lost faith in politics, the right to fair treatment under the law and the expectation that public officials be accountable should belong to all of us.”
Her passion for judicial accountability stems from her own divorce case in which the court lost her marital settlement agreement yet divorced her after creating a counterfeit one she did not agree to, of which details can be read at thecaseofthemissingmsa.org.
Anyone looking to become involved can receive updates, including upcoming roundtables, through the initiative’s Facebook page: From One Judgment, a Movement — Wisconsin Judicial Accountability Initiative.
