Real Estate System

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Chicago, IL

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February 20, 2013

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Wednesday, February **, ****

Luchsinger touts criminal law resume

By Ryan Whisner

Union regional editor

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Steven LuchsingerWATERLOO - Citing the need for a judge with significant experience in criminal law, Watertown attorney Steven J. Luchsinger says he is seeking the Branch I Jefferson County Circuit Court seat in the spring election.

Born and raised in Watertown, Luchsinger is a fifth-generation Jefferson County resident. His family has been in business on Main Street in Watertown for more than 130 years.

He is one of three candidates seeking to fill the seat of Jefferson County Circuit Court Judge John Ullsvik, who is not seeking re-election to the bench he has held for 18 years. His retirement will take effect this August.

Both Ullsvik's seat and that of Judge Jacqueline R. Erwin in Branch III will be on the spring 2009 ballot.

Other candidates running for the Branch I seat include Jefferson County court commissioner and Fort Atkinson municipal judge, and Jefferson County circuit court commissioner Jennifer Weston and Johnson Creek attorney Jennifer Weber. The three will each appear on the ballot on Tuesday, Feb. 17.

With nearly 30 years of experience as both a prosecutor and general practitioner, Luchsinger considers a judgeship the next logical progression for himself.

"I think the next logical step to put all that knowledge to its maximum efficiency or maximum impact would be as a judge in the middle of all this prosecution and defense making the decisions," Luchsinger said.

Also, he feels very strongly about wanting to give back to the state of Wisconsin, particularly the Jefferson County community.

"The state of Wisconsin has provided some real advantages for me in life that I don't think I could have experienced elsewhere," Luchsinger said. "I'm at that stage in my life where I can give back."

Luchsinger graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1970, majoring in economics. Following military service, he received his law degree at Chicago-Kent College of Law in 1974.

While in law school, he worked full-time as a librarian, legal researcher, bartender and cab driver while attending classes at night.

After law school, Luchsinger was admitted to practice in Illinois and subsequently admitted to practice in the United States Supreme Court and U.S. Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals, and the Northern Federal District Court of Illinois.

He was employed by the Cook County, Illinois, State's Attorney's Office for eight years, working as an assistant district attorney prosecuting thousands of serious felonies.

"I worked closely with victims of crimes, personally sharing the anger, fear and frustration crime victims can have when experiencing not only a horrible crime, but also a large and impersonal court system," Luchsinger noted.

Additionally, he prosecuted crimes involving major drug traffickers, organized crime and political corruption. At night, he taught courses in real estate law at a local college.

Eventually, Luchsinger moved to Wisconsin where he has for more than 20 years maintained a general practice, with a strong emphasis on trial work. He said he has handled thousands of criminal cases, representing people from all walks of life.

As a result, he said he feels he is uniquely qualified to make the difficult, but necessary, decisions about whether convicted criminals are sent to jail or prison, and how long they stay there.

Luchsinger said he has tried more than 100 jury trials, and that he is the only practicing attorney in Jefferson County to have personally argued a criminal case in front of the Supreme Court of Wisconsin.

He said less than 2 percent of Wisconsin lawyers have that kind of background in jury trials. He said it is critical for a judge to have a strong background in jury trials.

"It is essential that a judge have adequate training and experience when conducting jury trials," Luchsinger said, noting that jury trials are the final stage of many cases at the courthouse.

"I have tried many cases on both sides of the fence, and my background in this area is unmatched by any other candidate," he added. "I have the legal knowledge and professional experience required to preside over a complicated jury trial in an efficient and fair-minded manner."

The attorney said the primary duty of a judge is to make rulings on what is presented.

"It really comes down to the quality and quantity of evidence," Luchsinger said. "The judge's key function is to rule not on what he may think should be done or what he may think has happened but on what he has seen as evidence."

As an attorney, Luchsinger said he has handled everything from A to Z - adoption to zoning and everything in between.

With such background, he is not concerned about taking on the responsiblities under the current speciality court system utilized by Jefferson County courts.

Cases are distributed among the courts by case type, rotating every two years. Thus, a judge could hear only criminal or divorce and large civil claims for two years until the rotation.

In the past, cases were equally distributed among each of the county's four circuit court branches.

Luchsinger said he believes there has been some improvements under the current specialty court system, which has been in place for two years.

"All changes involve a little pain," he said, referring to the disagreements among the current judges about the new system.

Luchsinger acknowledged that there have been some efficiencies and some inefficiencies.

"It's been a mixed bag," he said. "Much of it depends on a judge's work style. It's a combination of workload and work style that really makes things happen."

Luchsinger declined to directly comment on the current system, deferring to the idea that it was a collaborative decision made by all four judges.

"The 800-pound gorilla at the courthouse is crime," he said, noting that the crime is primarily generated by young men between the ages of 15 and 25.

"That particular group consumes a vast amount of time and resources at the courthouse, and really in the county budget," Luchsinger added.

"It is critical that somebody who is familiar with that 800-pound gorilla is in there running the courtroom."