MILWAUKEE—Judge Janet Protasiewicz, who spent more than a quarter-century as a local assistant district attorney supporting victims and prosecuting criminals, announced today she will be a candidate for Wisconsin Supreme Court in the spring 2023 election.
“I’ve got simple Wisconsin values,” said Protasiewicz, who worked her way through college and law school as a waitress and office manager. “If you break the law, you should be held accountable. If you work hard and play by the rules, the government should leave you alone. And if your rights are violated, you should get a fair shot to demand justice.”
Protasiewicz has been elected twice without opposition to the Circuit Court bench, most recently in 2020. She currently serves in Family Court, after spending many years on the criminal court bench, including in overseeing serious felonies such as homicides and sexual assaults, misdemeanor, domestic violence cases, and in drug court.
“I’ve spent more than 35 years in the law, defending the rights of victims, protecting children, and upholding the law, and I see our criminal and civil justice system under attack by radical partisanship,” said Protasiewicz. “Our system works because the law is predictable. You can read the constitution, the statutes, and case law, and know what to expect, but as we can see on an almost-daily basis, our most closely-held constitutional rights are under attack by radical right-wing extremists.”
Protasiewicz is deeply engaged in the community and serves on numerous nonprofit boards. She lives in Franklin with her husband, Attorney Greg Sell.
“For almost my entire life, the constitutional right to privacy has been settled law,” said Protasiewicz. “We know that it’s not up to the government to decide who we can or can’t love. We know the 2020 election resulted in Joe Biden’s election. We must restore confidence that judges aren’t just trying to reach their favored outcomes, but actually applying the law and the constitution. I’m running to restore integrity to the Wisconsin Supreme Court, and get politics out of the courtroom. I look forward to hitting the campaign trail and earning the votes of my neighbors across the state.”
The campaign can be found online at janetforjustice.com and on social media @janetforjustice.
