Eugene Gasiorkiewicz
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Eugene "Gene" Gasiorkiewicz is a judge on the Racine County Circuit Court in Wisconsin. He was elected in 2010 and re-elected in 2016.[1][2]
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. Incumbent Eugene Gasiorkiewicz ran unopposed in the Racine County Circuit Court general election for Branch 2.[2]
| Racine County Circuit Court (Branch 2), General Election, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | ||
 Eugene Gasiorkiewicz Incumbent | ||
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.[3]
The chief judge of each circuit court is chosen by the state supreme court to serve a two-year term.[3]
Qualifications
To serve on the circuit courts, a judge must be:[3]
- 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.
2010
Gasiorkiewicz ran for a seat on the Racine County Circuit Court in 2010. He sought the seat opened by the retirement of Stephen Simanek and was opposed by Georgia Herrera. He won with 54.1 percent of the vote.[4][5][6]
- Main article: Wisconsin judicial elections, 2010
Education
Gasiorkiewicz holds an A.B. from Regis University and a J.D. from the University of Mississippi.[7]
Career
Gasiorkiewicz previously served as law clerk under Mississippi Supreme Court Justice L.A. Smith, Jr. He practiced law as an associate of the law firm Schoone, McManus & Hanson, S.C. from 1974 to 1979. He then left to create, along with Martin Hanson, the firm Hanson & Gasiorkiewicz, S.C. He has also served as a municipal judge for the Village of Wind Point and as a court commissioner for Racine County. He was elected to the circuit court in 2010.[1]
Awards and associations
Gasiorkiewicz has been associated with the following organizations:[1]
- Racine County Bar Association President
- Wisconsin Association for Justice
- Racine County Rules Committee
- Elected Governor for all Racine County as Representative of State Bar of Wisconsin
He has also received the following awards:[1]
- Board certified Civil Trial Specialist by National Board of Trial Advocacy
- Holds Highest Rating in Legal Ability and Ethics by Martindale-Hubbell National Lawyer Ratings
Noteworthy cases
Billionaire sentenced for sexual assault
An heir to the S.C. Johnson company fortune pleaded guilty to inappropriately touching his teenage stepdaughter and was sentenced by Judge Gasiorkiewicz on June 6, 2014. The sentence came after a long legal battle that resulted in two rulings by the Wisconsin Supreme Court.[8]
Samuel Curtis Johnson, III pleaded guilty to two misdemeanors--a count of fourth-degree sexual assault and a count of disorderly conduct. The issue was brought to light after Johnson made some statements to his therapist in Arizona. In 2011, he was charged with the sexual assault of his stepdaughter when she was between 12 and 15 years old.
There were a few complications in the case. The girl involved did not cooperate with attorneys to hand over the records of her own counseling sessions. The defense was hoping that a judge might look through them to determine if there was anything they could use in their case.
Prosecutors, on the other hand, tried to get their hands on Johnson's counseling records from Arizona, but were unable to do so due to an appeal by Johnson that was still pending in the Arizona Court of Appeals by the time the Judge Gasiorkiewicz handed down the sentence.
There was much discussion about whether or not the girl could testify in the case, though she hadn't provided the judge with her counseling records. The Wisconsin Court of Appeals ruled that she could not, but their decision was then reversed by the state's supreme court. The supreme court initially ruled that the girl could testify as long as the judge instructed the jury regarding her refusal to release the records. However, both sides asked for a reconsideration by the supreme court. The supreme court clarified in March 2014 that it had, in fact, been deadlocked. Thus, the intermediate appellate court's ruling stood.[9]
Judge Gasiorkiewicz, in sentencing, took the side of the defense and gave Johnson four months in jail and a $6,000 fine.[8][10]
See also
External links
- Racine County Clerk of Circuit Court
- The Journal Times.com, "Commentary by Judge Eugene A. Gasiorkiewicz -- Make no mistake: Heroin is a killer," June 15, 2014
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Eugene Gasiorkiewicz campaign website, 2010
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Wisconsin Government Accountability Board, "Candidates Registered by Office," accessed January 12, 2016
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 American Judicature Society, "Methods of Judicial Selection: Wisconsin," archived October 3, 2014
- ↑ Wisconsin State Elections Board, "Spring General Election Results - Racine County Circuit Court, Branch 2," April 6, 2010
- ↑ Wisconsin Law Journal, "2010 Judicial Elections"
- ↑ The Journal Times "Judge candidates spar over experience," March 19, 2010
- ↑ Martindale.com, "Gasiorkiewicz profile"
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Billionaire Johnson heir gets brief jail term in sex assault case," June 6, 2014
- ↑ Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "State high court clarifies ruling in sex assault case," March 26, 2014
- ↑ The Journal-times, "Johnson to serve four months jail, pay $6K," June 6, 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
