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David Knaapen
David Knaapen (b. 1958) was a 2016 candidate for the Portage County Circuit Court in Wisconsin.[1] He was defeated in the primary on February 16, 2016.
Education
Knaapen earned his B.A. in communications from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and his J.D. from the Thomas M. Cooley Law School.[2]
Career
Knaapen was an attorney in private practice until he was employed as a staff attorney with the Wisconsin State Public Defender's Office in 1993. He became an assistant district attorney in Columbia County in 2002, and later served in the same position in Portage County.[2]
Campaign themes
2016
Knaapen participated in Ballotpedia's 2016 survey of local judicial candidates. The following sections display his responses to the survey questions. When asked what non-judicial legal experience qualifies him to be a judge, the candidate made the following statement:
| “ | 30 years as an attorney practicing law in Wisconsin; in court on an almost daily basis dealing with the same issues a judge must deal with; trial attorney in civil, criminal defense and prosecution; actively involved in creating and implementing alternative sentencing options; extensive experience in training people in the law and legal careers, from a paralegal program at Globe University to the law enforcement program at Mid-States Technical College to preparing and presenting the majority of legal trainings and updates for the law enforcement agencies covered by our office.[3][4] | ” |
When asked why he was running for this particular court seat, the candidate made the following statement:
| “ | I am currently practicing law in Portage County and want to continue providing the kind of public service I have provided to the citizens of Wisconsin for 24 years as a defense attorney and prosecuting attorney.[3][4] | ” |
When asked to identify one judge, past or present, who he admires, the candidate made the following statement:
| “ | Judge Frederic Fleishauer, Judge Nicholas Brazeau, Judge Wallace Brady, Judge John Brady, Judge James Evenson, Judge Thomas Eagon[3][4] | ” |
When asked about his primary concern regarding today's judicial system in his state, the candidate made the following statement:
| “ | That the Legislature continues making more criminal offenses without providing the system with the proper funding to adequately deal with the increase in caseload; compounded by the fact there was already an unwieldy caseload the Legislature has ignored and allowed to grow again without providing the necessary resources to deal with those issues. The Legislature cannot continue to expect the justice system to do more with less without dire consequences for such choices down the road.[3][4] | ” |
Elections
2016
Wisconsin held general elections for local judicial offices on April 5, 2016. A primary election took place on February 16, 2016. The filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was January 5, 2016. Trish Baker and incumbent Robert Shannon defeated David Knaapen and Jared Redfield in the Portage County Circuit Court primary for Branch 2.[1]
| Portage County Circuit Court (Branch 2), Nonpartisan Primary, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
 Trish Baker |
32.98% | 2,700 |
| Robert Shannon Incumbent |
31.40% | 2,571 |
| David Knaapen | 27.09% | 2,218 |
| Jared Redfield | 8.41% | 689 |
| Write-in votes | 0.12% | 10 |
| Total Votes | 8,188 | |
| Source: Portage County, Wisconsin, "Portage County Election Results," accessed February 16, 2016 | ||
Selection method
- See also: Nonpartisan election of judges
The 241 judges of the Wisconsin Circuit Courts are elected in nonpartisan elections to six-year terms. All judges must run for re-election if they wish to continue serving after their term expires.[5]
The chief judge of each circuit court is chosen by the state supreme court to serve a two-year term.[5]
Qualifications
To serve on the circuit courts, a judge must be:[5]
- a qualified elector in the state;
- a qualified elector of his or her circuit (for circuit judges); and
- licensed to practice law in the state for at least five years.
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Wisconsin Government Accountability Board, "Candidates Registered by Office," accessed January 12, 2016
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Knaapen for Judge, "About David," accessed February 9, 2016
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Ballotpedia's local judicial candidate survey, 2016, "David Knaapen's Responses," February 9, 2016
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 American Judicature Society, "Methods of Judicial Selection: Wisconsin," archived October 3, 2014
Federal courts:
Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: Eastern District of Wisconsin, Western District of Wisconsin • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: Eastern District of Wisconsin, Western District of Wisconsin
State courts:
Wisconsin Supreme Court • Wisconsin Court of Appeals • Wisconsin Circuit Courts • Wisconsin Municipal Courts
State resources:
Courts in Wisconsin • Wisconsin judicial elections • Judicial selection in Wisconsin
