January_2007_Scriptus

SCRIPTUS

P.O. Box 400

Pewaukee, WI 53072

A Publication of the Waukesha County Bar Association

August, 2007

Danni Caldwell-Editor

			Table of Contents (click on a link to go to the article or item)
			Mark Your Calendars
			President's Letter
			Minutes and Treasurer's Report April Minutes MayMinutes
			Clerk of Courts News
			Section News
			Member News
			New on the WCBA Website

MARK YOUR CALENDARS
October/November, 2007 December 6, 2007 (5 p.m. - 10 p.m.) January 7th, 2008 (noon) February 4th, 2008 (noon) April 26th, 2008 Please note that this date is corrected from that published with the summer mailing materials.	Ethics Seminar - Free to Members Location and details to be announced Holiday Party - Delafield Brewhaus Annual Judges’ Update Luncheon Country Springs Hotel Support Staff Luncheon Country Springs Hotel Spring Awards Dinner

TOP

A Word From Your President

Dear Fellow Bar Members:

You should have now received (and returned) your Waukesha County Bar Association membership application and section information. I encourage you to join or rejoin the Waukesha County Bar Association. The minimal dues are worth the benefits of the CLE alone. Upcoming in the next year is the annual free ethics seminar in November and the free general CLE seminar in the spring. The joining fee makes you eligible for at least six CLE credits.

Additionally, you should have received section membership information with the summer mailing. I encourage you to join each section for the benefits that they provide to the individual areas of practice. The section information is also available on the Waukesha County Bar website at www.waukeshabar.org.

Our website, another member benefit, is also a source for information on the dates and location for the upcoming CLE events and other membership events, such as the December holiday party.

We recently had a judicial rotation. Effective August 6, 2007, Judge Gempeler left his civil calendar and took over Judge Foster’s criminal calendar. Judge Foster left the criminal bench and took over Judge Kieffer’s civil calendar. Judge Kieffer left the civil calendar and took over Judge Bohren’s family calendar. Judge Bohren left the family bench and took over Judge Gempeler’s civil calendar.

In addition, a previous case reassignment as occurred in May 2007. Judge Hassin became a full time family judge but will finish the civil cases he already had assigned to him. Guardianships will now be handled by Judge Haughney along with his family cases. Estates will be transferred to Judge Davis who currently is on the criminal bench.

Please feel free to contact myself or any board member with any ideas or opinions as to how the bar can better serve you.

Sincerely,
Marjorie A. Wendt
President

TOP

Board Minutes and Treasurer’s Report - Thursday, April 26, 2007; 12:00 pm

Attendance: Judge Davis, President, Eric Love, Past-President, Marjorie Wendt, President-Elect, Dan Habeck, Sect’y/Treasurer, Danni Caldwell, Michelle Martin, Vicky Schroeder, Doug Swanson, Michael Morse, Board of Governors.

Minutes: The minutes of the March 29, 2007 meeting were approved.

Treasurer and Membership Report: Membership and Treasurer’s Report were distributed and reviewed. As of April 25, 2007 there are 494 members and membership dues collected total $29,650.00. The checking account balance was $12,495.52. The money market balance as of April 25, 2007 was $15,848.49, the 12-month CD balance was $13,102.16 and the 24-month CD balance was $13,140.78.

OLD BUSINESS AND COMMITTEE REPORTS

State Board of Governors: Michael Morse reported on the most recent meetings and discussed the actions taken by the April 17, 2007 Board of Governors Executive Committee. Specific discussion was had on budget issues, WisStaff issues, the State Bar's Legal Needs Study concerning civil representation and the local bar grant program.

Scriptus/Website: Danni Caldwell reported that the next version of the Scriptus is due out in a couple of weeks. There are a couple of updates to the website, including WCBA LRIS information.

Charitable Giving and Scholarship: Doug Swanson reported that seven applications have been received from the UW Law School. Doug will evaluate the applications and make his recommendations to the Executive Committee for final determination. Marquette University has indicated it will participate in substantially the same format as the UW, and we will implement that protocol following exams.

Security and Facility Committee: Michelle Martin reported that at their most recent meeting the big issue was parking and access to the Juvenile Justice Facility. There are substantial issues with daily parking availability for attorneys and the public which impair the ability of the Court and the Bar to function. Following discussion, a motion was made and unanimously approved to encourage more short-term parking available to members of the Bar and the public who need to do business at the Juvenile Justice Facility. Michelle Martin was authorized to forward a letter or letters to appropriate parties confirming the Board's position on this issue.

Awards Dinner: The Awards Dinner was a success. Congratulations and thanks to Marjorie Wendt for her hard work. Attendance was approximately 130. Considerations for next year include the viability of "casino night" and the timing of all phases of the evening. There was also discussion concerning the appropriateness of the WCBA subsidy. Consideration will be given next year to raising the price by $5.00 per person.

Annual Meeting/CLE: Eric Love reported that everything is on pace and he has assigned time slots for the various speakers and sessions. Dean Kenneth Davis of the UW Law School will make the keynote address, Mark Choppa of LexisNexis will have a table and will make a brief presentation to the luncheon. The United Way will have a table for presentation of their materials.

NEW BUSINESS

The slate of officers for next year will be Marjorie Wendt, President; Dan Habeck, President-Elect; Doug Swanson, Secretary-Treasurer. The Executive Committee will select two nominees for the open Bar Board positions.

The meeting was adjourned by unanimous consent at 1:05 p.m. Next meeting: Thursday, May 24, 2007 at noon, Room G55, Administration Building. *

Respectfully submitted,
Dan Habeck, Secretary

BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING MINUTES - Thursday, May 24, 2007; 12:00 pm

Attendance: Judge Davis, President, Eric Love, Past-President, Dan Habeck, Sect’y/Treas., Danni Caldwell, Vicky Schroeder, Doug Swanson, John Macy, Board of Governors, Christine D’Angelo, Director Elect.

Minutes: The minutes of the April 26, 2007 meeting were approved.

Treasurer and Membership Report: Membership and Treasurer’s Report were distributed and reviewed. As of May 24, 2007 there are 506 members and membership dues collected total $30,400.00. The checking account balance was $9,462.89. The money market balance as of May 24, 2007 was $15,848.49, the 12-month CD balance was $13,102.16 and the 24-month CD balance was $13,140.78.

OLD BUSINESS AND COMMITTEE REPORTS

State Board of Governors: John Macy reported on the most recent meetings and discussed actions taken at the May 8 and 9, 2007 Board of Governors Executive Committee. John was pleased to announce that Waukesha County will now be in the formal rotation and have an opportunity to have a Bar President on a sequential basis. There was also continuing discussion of the State Bar's Bridging the Gap program and approval of the budget.

Scriptus/Website: Danni Caldwell reported that the next version of the Scriptus is due out approximately with the summer mailing, and that updated CLE information is on line.

Charitable Giving and Scholarship: The UW scholarship was given to Aaron Werner at the Annual Meeting. Doug Swanson will continue to follow-up with Marquette University who has indicated it will participate in substantially the same format as the UW, and will implement that protocol following exams. For the time being, Doug will keep the official scholarship record. Judge Davis raised an issue as to Cooperating Congregations of Greater Waukesha County and recommended follow up as to their use of funds. The concern is that we remain “legally” related with such use.

Annual Meeting/CLE: Eric Love reported that Dean Kenneth Davis of the UW Law School made the keynote address, Mark Choppa of LexisNexis made a brief presentation to the luncheon. United Way had a table for presentation of their materials. The breakout format was successful and the overall event was a success. The three credits have been approved by the State Bar. Commentary included the possibility of having a technical presentation in the next year.

NEW BUSINESS

Budget. Judge Davis circulated a proposed budget for 2007-2008 with comparisons for the last four years. Following discussion, the budget was unanimously approved.

Meeting Dates. Judge Davis circulated proposed meeting dates for 2007-2008 subject to Marjorie Wendt’s approval.

Plaques. Judge Davis had plaques updated on the second floor as to the past presidents through Marjorie Wendt.

Board Contact Information: Doug Swanson circulated a Board contact information sheet which was approved with revisions.

The meeting was adjourned by unanimous consent at 12:50 p.m. Next meeting: Thursday, July 26, 2007 at noon, Room G55, Administration Building. *

Respectfully submitted,
Dan Habeck, Secretary

*(Editor’s Note) Next meeting is August 23, 2007 - Room G-55 of the County Administration Building.

TOP

From the Clerk of Courts

NEW PHONE NUMBER FOR COMMISSIONER LAU AND GEORGESON SCHEDULING

Effective Monday, August 6th: The separate telephone line (262-548-7307) previously established in the Family Court Office for scheduling and calendar questions for Commissioners Georgeson and Lau, will no longer be in service.

Calendar duties for Commissioner Lau and Commissioner Georgeson have been transferred to Peggy Heun. Peggy’s telephone number is 262-548-7542.

NEW GENERAL PHONE LIST FOR JUDGES AVAILABLE

The general phone list for the Judges was updated on August 2, 2007. You can find it on the Bar Association website. There is a link to it on the opening page of the website.

Section News

None. Please send information to Danni Caldwell at wcba1@waukeshabar.org.

TOP

Member News

Bill Reilly

Most of you have heard of the passing of one of our venerable members, William Reilly. When you have occasion to visit the courthouse, please take a moment to view the celebration of his legal career which is on display in our cabinet in the second floor lobby. Our sympathies to his family and friends.

Volunteer Opportunity

Judge Davis received this letter, and asked that it be included in the Scriptus:

“Judge Davis,

The mission of Restorative Justice Teen Court is to help juvenile offenders restore their relationships with the community through alternative methods of adjudicating minor juvenile offenses, including programs that teach responsibility and positive decision making and restore a sense of safety in the community. Waukesha County Restorative Justice Teen Court is based on the philosophy that a youthful law violator does not continue to be an offender when a peer jury decides punishment. It will provide a way for first time offenders to keep their records clean. The program focuses on youth accountability and development. Teen court is designed to interrupt patterns of criminal behavior by promoting positive feelings of self-esteem, motivating self improvement, and developing a healthy attitude towards authority.

We are seeking volunteers to act as judges, as juveniles will fill the remainder of the roles in the court room. As the project director of the program, I will also be present at all court hearings. We plan to hold Teen court twice a month from 5:30- 7:00 p.m. at the juvenile center located at 521 Riverview Ave in Waukesha. I there are any interested parties please contact me at (262) 548-7660 or via E-mail at fgarcia@waukeshacounty.gov. I look forward to speaking to any interested parties regarding this exciting program. Thank you in advance for your time and consideration regarding this matter. “

Notice from Court of Appeals

Please follow the link in this paragraph for an important notice from the District II Court of Appeals regarding finality of judgments and orders.
http://waukeshabar.org/Finality_For_Purpose_of_Appeal.pdf

TOP

New on the WCBA Web Site

Lots of updating, lots of information! Check it out!

TOP

Comments or questions about the Scriptus should be directed to:

Danni Caldwell, Editor

548-7432

wcba1@waukeshabar.org

Brewers, Packers, Badgers - What a
Great Time of Year!