KENOSHA — Most people only see the inside of a courtroom when they have to. Today, TMJ4 News got a look behind the bench.
A Kenosha County judge came to our Let's Talk Kenosha community listening session because he wanted to connect with the people he serves. So we took him up on that invitation, spending a day with him to show viewers what justice in Kenosha County actually looks like.
Before a single case is called, the judge has already spent hours preparing. Each morning starts with a schedule that can run 14 pages long, reviewing cases, researching the law, and making notes on every matter that will come before him that day.
"For each day I've got applicable filings or things I need to know about the cases saved right there. So when something comes in, I do my review, I do my research, I make my notes," he said. "We started with a 14-page calendar. We've gotten through eight or nine pages. We still have more to go.
Those pages represent real people, real cases, and decisions that ripple far beyond the courtroom.
"Decisions I make have effects beyond just the defendant in front of me," he said. "These are questions of community, public safety, protection of the public, victims rights. All of those things are part of the constellation of issues and considerations that go into what we do all day every day."
The judge says he never wants to be seen as just a face behind a black robe, which is exactly why he showed up to Let's Talk Kenosha.
"My foundational belief is that judges shouldn't be unknown or mysterious," he said. "I am here in service to the public, and the public should know who I am and what I do."
For this judge, every day in that courtroom is a chance to serve the community he calls home.
Watch the story to see behind-the-scenes of a Kenosha County courtroom...
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