Candidate Announces for Derek Mosley’s Judicial Seat
Legal Action of Wisconsin attorney Molly Gena running for Municipal Court Judge.
Molly Gena. Molly Gena for Judge.
Molly Gena, a Milwaukee attorney with Legal Action of Wisconsin, announced her candidacy Monday for the City of Milwaukee Municipal Court Branch 2.
Gena is the managing attorney for Legal Action’s Milwaukee Office. She has been in the position since 2019. Legal Action is the state’s largest nonprofit providing free civil legal services. In a statement announcing her candidacy, Gena said she has “extensive experience” representing litigants in municipal court.
“I am running for Milwaukee Municipal Court Judge to continue to serve others and to make positive changes for our city,” Gena said. “I have been representing clients in municipal courts for over fifteen years, and I understand the importance of treating litigants with respect and dignity.”
Gena is the first attorney to declare candidacy for Branch 2 since Mosley announced his new job. Municipal judges preside over cases involving municipal ordinance violations ranging from parking violations to first-time OWI’s. The annual salary is $133,049.
In her announcement, Gena pledged to use community service for defendants “where appropriate.” Municipal violations frequently result in financial penalties. Mosley, who Gena is running to replace, was part of an effort by municipal judges to waive arrest warrants for defendants while they sought to pay their fines.
“At the same time, I will work to decrease reckless driving by shortening the time it takes to resolve safety-related traffic tickets,” she said. “This means adjudicating cases in a timely manner and working on systemic changes to make the court more efficient, ensuring justice and fairness while enhancing public safety.”
“Molly Gena epitomizes the qualities we all want in a judge,” Gramling said. “She is bright, energetic, patient, and committed. How do I know? I have worked with her, and observed her work, for 15 years. Molly Gena truly belongs on the bench.”
Gena is married to Raphael Ramos, also a Legal Action attorney and the director of the organization’s Eviction Defense Project. The couple has two children.
The Milwaukee Common Council could appoint a judge to finish Mosley’s term, which ends in April 2023. The primary election for the seat will be Feb. 21, and the general election April 4. Candidates have until Jan. 3 to submit a declaration of candidacy and collect between 1,500 and 3,000 nomination signatures to get on the ballot.
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More about the 2023 Municipal Judge Race
- Lena Taylor Is Running for Municipal Court - Jeramey Jannene - Dec 12th, 2022
- Candidate Announces for Derek Mosley’s Judicial Seat - Graham Kilmer - Dec 5th, 2022
- Judge Derek Mosley Resigning For Marquette Job - Jeramey Jannene - Nov 1st, 2022
Read more about 2023 Municipal Judge Race here
Unfortunately this does not sound like the type of person that will help bring law and order to the City of Milwaukee and only exacerbate those problems
I read the above as: “she won’t try to solve systemic social inequities by locking up the world.” After all, that philosophy has worked so very well. Don’t ya think?
There is no criminal aspect to Milwaukee’s Municipal court. It is all civil like parking tickets and housing code violations. The criminal “law and order” stuff is only at the Circuit Court.
Since the city needs money, and we do not have enough work for even two municipal courts, this would be a great time to eliminate this undeeded branch and save big. I estimate we could save $500,000/per year.