Here & Now

Gableman Referred to Wisconsin's Office of Lawyer Regulation

Zac Schultz:

A Dane County judge is referring former Supreme Court justice Michael Gableman to the Office of Lawyer Regulation for “unprofessional behavior and inappropriate comments” he made at a hearing last week. Last Friday we told you Judge Frank Remington was holding Gableman’s Office of Special Counsel in contempt for repeatedly violating the Open Records Law. This week the judge issued his written order, fining the office the maximum $2,000 a day for contempt but also wrote about how Gableman’s actions in court discredited the legal profession. Friday Gableman took the stand and instead of answering questions, proceeded to question Judge Remington’s integrity and make speeches from the witness stand. Then during a break, Gableman kept criticizing the judge.

Michael Gableman:

You know, this is his time to shine, you know. This is his — what passes for success for him.

Zac Schultz:

Gableman went on to criticize the opposing counsel Christa Westerberg. Remington’s order included a professional rebuke of Gableman saying, “In the end, it was readily apparent that Gableman intended to use his appearance to distract from the Office of Special Counsel’s failure to follow the court’s order and perhaps to direct attention away from his office’s illegal records practices. The court will ignore the personal insult. However, the court cannot ignore Gableman’s disruptive conduct and misogynistic comments about a fellow lawyer.”