AG Schimel Appoints Experienced, Award-Winning Prosecutor to Lead Office of Crime Victim Services
Michelle L. Viste is a current assistant attorney general at DOJ and 2015 Deputy District Attorney of the Year award recipient.
Michelle L. Viste. Photo from the State of Wisconsin.
MADISON, Wis. – This week, Attorney General Brad Schimel announced the appointment of Michelle L. Viste to Executive Director of the Wisconsin Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Office of Crime Victim Services (OCVS). Viste, a current assistant attorney general at DOJ and 2015 Deputy District Attorney of the Year award recipient, will replace Jill Karofsky who was elected to a seat on the Dane County Circuit Court earlier this year.
“Michelle will have instant credibility with victim advocates, prosecutors, law enforcement, court officials, and lawmakers,” said Attorney General Schimel. “Under Michelle’s leadership, OCVS is going to grow to be an even stronger resource for the people of Wisconsin, and I am so grateful that she agreed to take on this very important leadership role. Michelle is the perfect person to build on the foundation that Jill Karofsky and her team in OCVS have created.”
Viste previously served as an assistant district attorney in Dane, Outagamie, and Winnebago Counties, deputy district attorney in Dane County, and District Attorney of Waushara County before joining the DOJ. Viste, a Green Bay native, received her Bachelor of Arts cum laude from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point and her Juris Doctorate cum laude from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
“As a prosecutor in our state courts I fought to bring justice to crime victims,” said Michelle Viste. “I am grateful to Attorney General Schimel for the opportunity to continue to serve and advocate for crime victims as the Executive Director of the Office of Crime Victim Services. I look forward to working alongside the dedicated professionals at the Department of Justice as together we continue Attorney General Schimel’s commitment to ensure that crime victims are treated with the dignity and respect they deserve.”
Viste will begin her new appointment on August 9, 2017 and Karofsky will take the bench on August 1, 2017.
NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.
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