By Vicky Wedig
Staff Writer
Three candidates – a Lake Geneva attorney, the Walworth County district attorney and the county family court commissioner – are seeking election to an open circuit court judge’s seat.
Commissioner Dan Johnson, DA Dan Necci and bankruptcy attorney Shannon Wynn are vying for the position to replace Judge James Carlson, who will retire in July after 37 years on the bench.
The pool of candidates will be reduced to the top two vote-getters in Tuesday’s primary election. The final two candidates will face off in the April 5 general election. The person who is elected in April will take the bench in August.
All three candidates are in their 30s, graduated from Marquette Law School and have practiced law for six to 13 years.
Wynn said what sets her apart from the other candidates is being born and raised in Walworth County and running a successful law practice.
Johnson and Necci say they don’t believe being a Walworth County native is essential to serving as judge.
Necci, who grew up in Ixonia and graduated from Oconomowoc High School, said being from Walworth County is miniscule compared to practicing in the county and knowing the court system.
Johnson, who grew up in Rockford, Ill., and graduated from Guilford High School, said involvement in the community is more significant to the role than growing up locally.
“I don’t think it’s where you come from that’s important,” he said. “It’s what you do when you get here that’s important.
“I don’t think you need to grow up here to realize what a great place this is to live.”
Wynn said she is the only candidate who has experience as a successful business owner with her own law firm based in Lake Geneva with satellite offices in Delavan, Salem and Muskego.
Johnson said he also ran the business aspects of his practice as a partner with Braden, Olson and Draper but said that experience isn’t particularly germane to the role of a judge, who isn’t responsible for the budget of the court.
“It’s helpful, but it’s nothing similar to running a courtroom,” he said.
Necci said he also ran a successful business with his own law firm in Elkhorn before he was appointed DA. He said the most difficult decision he and his wife had to make when deciding whether he should seek the DA’s post was determining whether to walk away from a growing practice.
Wynn said she believes the experience is relevant – judges must be mindful of time and costs and be accountable for their docket, which she said is similar to running a business.
“People want things to be efficient,” she said.
For the complete story, see the Feb. 11 edition of the Elkhorn Independent.
