IN THE NEWS

Milwaukee police officer's wife said on Facebook the woman who spit on a teen protester 'should have done more'
MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL - A Milwaukee police officer's wife was called out on Facebook for comments appearing to support the actions of Stephanie Rapkin, a Shorewood woman arrested for a hate crime against a Black teenager. The officer's wife's response: To seek restraining orders against four women who criticized her on social media from June 10-12. The restraining orders and associated complaints were dismissed not once, but twice, in Waukesha County Circuit Court.

Two Bald Guys - Episode 9 Criminal Justice Reform
TWO BALD GUYS - Experts Eric Giordano, Dave Anderson, Milwaukee County Sheriff Earnell Lucas, Judge Everett Mitchell and Attorney John A. Birdsall discuss criminal justice reform in Wisconsin.

Milwaukee Attorney Taking on Clients Pro Bono Following Protests
MILWAUKEE (SPECTRUM NEWS) -- Nicole Muller has taken on the task of representing peaceful protestors who have received non-criminal citations in the city and she’s doing it pro bono.

'I'm going to stand up'
'I'm going to stand up': Northern Wisconsin judge demands answers from state on public defender crisis

Kirk Obear listed among Super Lawyers
Kirk Bowden Obear listed among Wisconsin's Super Lawyers for the eighth consecutive year

Wisconsin Supreme Court takes a small step...
Wisconsin Supreme Court takes a small step to address pay for lawyers representing indigent defendants

Wisconsin Supreme Court Raises Lawyer Pay...
Wisconsin Supreme Court Raises Lawyer Pay for Court Appointments, Takes No Action on SPD Rate

A long-haul defense lawyer makes do...
A long-haul defense lawyer makes do with Wisconsin's lowest-in-nation pay

Wisconsin Struggling To Find Lawyers...
Wisconsin Struggling To Find Lawyers For Public Defense Cases

Supreme Court Gives Lawyers a Pay Raise
Heeding a petition from lawyers and judges across the state, the Supreme Court raised the amount of money paid...

Justice Delayed For Those Who Can Least Afford It?
State, County Officials Blame Compensation Rate In Struggles To Find Attorneys Willing To Represent People Who Can't Afford Private Attorney.

Public Defender Pay At Issue
For decades they’ve earned $40 hour in Wisconsin; federal public defenders get $140 hour.

Defense is Obear's blazing passion
It takes a certain amount of courage to go solo after spending more than a decade in practice.

Lawyers groups seek pay increase...
Lawyers groups seek pay increase for lawyers taking public defender cases

Attorney Shortage in Rural Wisconsin
Where the lawyers aren’t - Attorney shortage in rural Wisconsin compounds opioid crisis

No charges in bizarre officer-involved death
A federal agent who intentionally drove into a suspect as he ran from arrest in December won't face criminal charges, the Milwaukee County district attorney has decided.

Supreme Court ruling on blood draws could have big impact on drunken driving cases
Blood can't be taken without consent, a warrant or special circumstances, justices say

Situation Norml
Why Kirk Obear, a former Chief of Military Justice, works pro bono for the National Organization for the reform of marijuana laws.

Lawyer wants girl charged for nude photos she sent to teacher
The attorney for a former Hales Corners teacher facing charges he had sex with a female student has asked a judge to charge the girl with distributing child pornography - for sending nude photos of herself to the teacher.

Prosecutors drop Milwaukee homicide case against impaired man
Reckless homicide charges were dismissed Thursday in the case of a cognitively impaired Milwaukee man whom a judge ruled police had improperly led to make a confession — the only evidence against him.

Teen sex case once set for trial ends with probation
WEST BEND - The same judge who sidetracked the start of a high-stakes trial in a teen sex case so that a more reasonable plea bargain could be reached cut the young man another break with a sentence of probation and a chance to expunge his record....

Questions surround proposed victim rights amendment
Victims would have more say in criminal prosecutions if voters approve a proposed state constitutional amendment, but critics say the plan could weaken the rights of defendants...