STATEWIDE - Wisconsin Supreme Court candidate Jennifer Dorow took time after speaking at an event for the Northland Freedom Alliance on Saturday, Feb. 11, to have an interview with the Leader.
For an initial question, Dorow was asked her opinion of reports that the court had issued Republican-favored rulings for more than a decade, and the people's concerns over issues coming up over abortion and redistricting rules of elections. While talking at the event, Dorow had addressed this with the group, saying that it is important not to prejudge an issue and keep an open mind regardless of personal opinion to let the law guide every decision made. She said that the law needs to be interpreted in the context of how it was written and when it was written, not for political agendas or popular opinion. Dorow said this is necessary to ensure reliability, predictability, stability and fairness when it comes to the rule of law, and not just an application of “Jennifer’s Law,” or that of any individual or group.
The second question asked was for Dorow’s thoughts about the race as a being officially nonpartisan – yet candidates are aligned with parties – the expense of running, and her personal experience. She stated that the experience of running a campaign requiring funding had been novel for her, with prior endorsements to the bench having been fairly quick and not requiring such efforts. Dorow was very encouraged by the support she had received from various groups, rapidly raising just over $70,000 in 70 days to date. Judges aren’t officially allowed to ask for money, but it’s OK to ask for support, and she says she is often thanked for running. She said the experience was very eye-opening and mentioned that outside groups have spent over $1.5 million in attack ads against her, which is a clear indication of who the left believes the front-runner is and who they do not want to see on the April ballot. Regarding the association of candidates to parties, she stated that while she doesn’t hide her personal history as a person of faith or being married to someone in law enforcement, she does work to remain neutral in the courtroom to maintain fairness to those coming for judgments and rule according to the law.
As a final question, Dorow was asked what she felt was most important to her campaign and the potential effects of a shift in the balance of the current conservative majority. Dorow replied, “Do you want a justice who is outcome-driven and is pushing an overt political agenda, doesn't care about the facts or the law, or do you want a justice who will be fair and impartial, who will treat every case the same way putting in the due diligence to read the briefs, listen to the arguments, study the law and then make a decision? I think every person in Wisconsin expects that the judges and the justices they elect will keep an open mind. That's what fairness is. You think about the symbol for the justice system, Lady Justice blindfolded, with evenly balanced scales. That's not what the left is portraying. They want to put their thumb on the scale. That's actually the words from one of the candidates. And, therefore, you can forecast how they would rule. I took an oath to the Constitution, right to uphold the Constitution of the state of Wisconsin to uphold the Constitution of the United States, and to faithfully discharge the duties of my office which includes being fair and impartial and never letting my personal preferences guide anything that I do. You have candidates who call themselves liberal or progressive, who want to legislate from the bench. That doesn't honor the rule of law, I want to follow the law. I want to follow my role as a judge under the Constitution. I need to ‘stay in my lane,’ so to speak, and decide the cases and controversies that come before the court. To have a political agenda is wrong. Politics should have no place in the courtroom, or in our decisions. Of course, they have an impact on what we do. The Supreme Court will decide legal issues, and they're the last word on what Wisconsin law means. And, so, it's incredibly important, but it's also incredibly important that we have justices that do that in a way that honors the Constitution.”
For background, Dorow is the chief judge of the 3rd District of Wisconsin Circuit Courts and was appointed by Gov. Scott Walker in 2011. She was elevated to chief judge by the Wisconsin Supreme Court in 2017. Dorow also mentions that her peers have selected her as chairperson of the state’s chief judges as well. In 2022, she presided over the trial of the Waukesha Christmas parade attacker. Following that trial, Dorow announced her candidacy for the Supreme Court. She has a 26-year legal career, overseeing over 16,000 cases, of which she says, “I have evaluated, advised on, prosecuted, defended and judged a wide array of cases and issues. With years of experience representing clients and presiding in cases involving civil, business, family and criminal matters, I am fully aware of how our state’s laws and legal system must operate. In criminal cases, I not only deeply respect victims’ rights and our society’s need for law and order, but also, I understand and respect defendants.” Dorow has also been married to Brian, a successful law-enforcement officer, and has three children.
