Court Watch

• Court Water

  Public Defender Pushes $70 Rate for Appointed Counsel

  Sep 24th, 2018 by Gretchen Schuldt

  State hourly rate of $40 lowest in nation, indigent defendants often have no attorney.

• Court Reverses $6.7 Million Rape Verdict

  Sep 17th, 2018 by Gretchen Schuldt

  Federal appeals court rules county not liable for employee raping county jail inmate.

• 18-Year-Old Hangs Himself, Lacked Lawyer

  Sep 13th, 2018 by Gretchen Schuldt

  Case spotlights state’s constitutional crisis, inadequate funding for appointed counsel.

• Life Sentence For Juvenile OK, Court Says

  Aug 31st, 2018 by Gretchen Schuldt

  Man who killed woman when he was 16 gets life plus 32 years. Appeal court upholds it.

• Appeals Court Gives Immigrant Second Chance

  Aug 28th, 2018 by Gretchen Schuldt

  Seventh circuit, based in Northern Illinois, overrules federal government, says law protects asylum seeker.

• 16 Court Reforms of Police Department

  Aug 14th, 2018 by Gretchen Schuldt

  ACLU stop-and-frisk settlement requires many changes by Milwaukee Police Department.

• Bail Jumping Charges Soar in Some Counties

  Jul 20th, 2018 by Gretchen Schuldt

  Iowa, Chippewa and Eau Claire counties the worst, but Milwaukee has many, too.

• The Plague of Bail Jumping Charges

  Jul 12th, 2018 by Gretchen Schuldt

  134% increase in such charges in state since 2000 may force innocent people to plead guilty.

• State ‘Cocaine Mom’ Law Reinstated

  Jun 25th, 2018 by Margo Kirchner

  Federal court overrules state court decision voiding law allowing jailing of drug-using mothers.

• Judge Overrules Traffic Stop Arrest

  Jun 18th, 2018 by Gretchen Schuldt

  Milwaukee police officers had no grounds for interrogating driver, appeals judge rules.

• High Court Splits Decision on Lawyer Pay

  May 21st, 2018 by Shawn Johnson

  Hikes fee for county-appointed lawyers but not lowest-in-nation fee of state public defender’s office.

• Just 13% of City’s Pot Cases Involve Whites

  May 15th, 2018 by Gretchen Schuldt

  Blacks and Hispanics make up 57% of city population but 86% of pot cases in 2017.