Municipal judge training focuses on impaired driving

Milwaukee Municipal Judge Derek Mosley

Milwaukee Municipal Judge Derek Mosley, right, speaks during a mock trial exercise at the Municipal Judge Trial Seminar. Other mock trial participants pictured, left to right, include: municipal judges: Michael Finley, Richard Ginkowski, Christine Ohlis, Michael Cotter.

On March 10, 105 of Wisconsin’s 230 municipal judges gathered in Elkhart Lake for the 2022 Municipal Judge Trial Seminar hosted by the Office of Judicial Education. A variety of topics filled the agenda with an emphasis on Operating While Impaired law. The seminar featured a number of presenters and a mock trial, with judges taking on a number of roles.

Special guest speaker, Judge Kevin Fitzwater (ret.) of the National Judicial College opened the seminar with a session on the “Role of the Traffic Judge and Hot Trends and Issues in OWI Cases.”

Judge Felice Borisy-Rudin, municipal judge for the Village of Shorewood Hills, and also a policy analyst with the Wisconsin Alcohol Policy Project, spoke about “Judging Alcohol Violations in America’s ‘Drunkest’ State.”

Judge Melissa Murray of the village of Pewaukee relayed concerns she gathered at last fall’s municipal court clerk seminar with “The Top 10 Things Your Clerk Wants You to Know.” A mock trial was held with the nearly-contemptuous pro se defendant, played by Judge Michael Finley of the City of Monona, who faced rookie prosecutor Judge Michael Cotter of the Village of East Troy. Judge Christine Ohlis of the Mid-Moraine Joint Municipal Court took the role of the extremely patient presiding judge, with Judge JoAnn Eiring, Town of Brookfield, in a supporting role as police officer. The charges at the mock trial were OWI, operating while suspended, possession of marijuana and operating with an unlicensed vehicle. Judge Derek Mosley, City of Milwaukee, and Atty. David Perlman Judicial Education Specialist, moderated the lively mock trial, which benefited from eager audience participation.

Other sessions featured:

  • Wisconsin State Troopers Brandon Ferrell and Scott Hlinak explaining different speed detection methods with input from Judge Jason Hanson of the villages of Deforest and Windsor, who is also a Dane County Court Commissioner.
  • “Common OWI Defenses,” led by Dane County Circuit Court Judge John Hyland and Judge Todd Meurer of the Towns of Madison, Middleton and Verona.
  • Judge Richard Ginkowski, Village of Pleasant Prairie, on “Judicial Ethics: Demystifying the Code.”
  • “New Laws & New Cases,” a feature of all municipal judge seminars, featuring Finley, Hyland and Meurer, along with Judge Daniel Koval, City of Madison.

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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