Three new judges have been appointed to circuit court benches in Waukesha and Grant counties, bringing experience in prosecution, criminal defense, family law, military service, veterans’ services, and public defense to the bench.
Gov. Tony Evers appointed Michael Schindhelm to Branch 11 of the Waukesha County Circuit Court, Jeremy Guza to Branch 3 of the Waukesha County Circuit Court, and Jeffrey Erickson to Branch 2 of the Grant County Circuit Court.
Schindhelm will fill the vacancy being created by the retirement of Judge William J. Domina. Guza will fill the vacancy being created by the retirement of Judge Ralph M. Ramirez. Erickson will fill the vacancy being created by the retirement of Judge Craig R. Day. Each will complete a term ending July 31, 2027.
Michael Schindhelm, Waukesha County Circuit Court, Branch 11
Schindhelm is an Assistant United States Attorney in the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, where he prosecutes violent crime and narcotics cases. From 2012 to 2023, he served as an assistant district attorney in Milwaukee County, prosecuting a broad range of criminal cases.
He has completed more than 120 trials to verdict, including 28 homicide cases. Earlier in his career, Schindhelm was an assistant district attorney in Fond du Lac County and the Queens County District Attorney’s Office in New York.
Schindhelm grew up in Mukwonago and lives near Hartland with his family. He is a graduate of The Ohio State University and St. John’s University School of Law.
“My career as a prosecutor has been defined by fighting for justice, and I am ready to bring that hard-earned sense of fairness to the bench in my home county,” Schindhelm said.
Jeremy Guza, Waukesha County Circuit Court, Branch 3
Guza has owned and operated Guza Law Office LLC since 2014. The criminal defense and family law firm represents clients across Southeast Wisconsin. From 2017 to 2020, he also worked for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs as a veterans’ service representative, evaluating eligibility for veterans’ disability benefits.
Before becoming an attorney, Guza served in the Wisconsin Army National Guard for seven years. He was deployed to Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom from 2004 to 2005.
Guza lives in Sussex with his family and is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin–Platteville and Marquette University Law School. He is a member of the Sussex Lions Club and helped form ATV 4 Vets, a nonprofit organization in Western Wisconsin that helps connect veterans to outdoor recreational opportunities.
“My life and career have been shaped by service, hard work, and respect for the rule of law,” Guza said. “I look forward to carrying out this responsibility with diligence, humility, and respect for the Constitution and the rule of law.”
Jeffrey Erickson, Grant County Circuit Court, Branch 2
Erickson has been a defense attorney practicing in Grant County for the past 25 years. He is currently the local attorney manager for the Wisconsin State Public Defender’s Lancaster office, where he oversees assistant state public defenders practicing in Southwestern Wisconsin and represents clients in Grant, Crawford, Richland, and Iowa counties.
From 2001 to 2015, Erickson operated Erickson Law Office in Lancaster, where his practice focused primarily on criminal defense. He also handled family law cases, small claims, bankruptcy, and probate matters.
Erickson lives in the town of Ellenboro and is a graduate of the University of Georgia and the University of Wisconsin Law School. He is an active member of the Grant County, Iowa County, and Richland County Criminal Justice Coordinating Committees and serves on the Richland County and Iowa County Drug Treatment Courts.
“For the past 25 years I have had the privilege of being an attorney in Grant County, and I will continue to work to the utmost of my ability to uphold the Constitution and be faithful to the law,” Erickson said.
Third Branch eNews is an online monthly newsletter of the Director of State Courts Office. If you are interested in contributing an article about your department’s programs or accomplishments, contact your department head. Information about judicial retirements and judicial obituaries may be submitted to: Sara.Foster@wicourts.gov