Wisconsin Judicial Commission Dismisses Complaints Filed by Former State Courts Director

Wednesday, January 17th, 2024 -- 10:00 AM

(AP) The Wisconsin Judicial Commission this week dismissed complaints filed by the former state courts director after he was fired by four liberal justices of the Wisconsin Supreme Court, documents released to The Associated Press on Thursday show.

Three of the four targeted justices fired back Thursday, accusing the former court director who filed the complaints of breaking the law by making them public. By law, complaints before the commission must remain confidential unless the target of the investigation makes it public.

Randy Koschnick filed the complaints against each of the justices who fired him in August. He also filed a complaint against the person who replaced him, former Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Audrey Skwierawski. Koschnick talked about the complaints publicly at the time.

The commission should have admonished Koschnick or taken other disciplinary action against him, liberal justices Rebecca Dallet, Jill Karofsky and Janet Protasiewicz wrote in a letter they provided to the AP.

Koschnick said Thursday that he thinks he had a First Amendment right to talk about his complaint. He said he had a “civil and moral obligation” to file the complaint.

Feel free to contact us with questions and/or comments.