Cveykus and Harris run to succeed retiring Judge Huber
Voters on April 5 will pick between Wausau criminal defense lawyer Rick Cveykus and non-profit organization attorney William Harris, Wausau, as the next Branch 2 Marathon County Circuit Court judge.
Rick Cveykus
Rick Cveykus said if elected Branch 2 judge he would respect all in the courtroom, work to reduce the current backlog of cases before the county court and keep politics out of county courtrooms.
Cveykus, who has worked 15 years as an attorney, said everyone, including defendants, needed to be respected in court and given a fair shake. “People who come to court are often overwhelmed and they have one chance to be heard,” he said. “If you respect people, they are more apt to accept a decision, even if they don’t love it.”
The candidate said the backlog of cases in the county court is significant. One hundred sixty people sit in jail just awaiting a hearing, he said. He said he would work to reduce the backlog to free up space in the county jail.
Cveykus said he hoped that the Marathon County voting public was tired of politics entering into non-partisan government, including county government. He said you will not be able to predict his rulings based on political party.
Cveykus said he has been endorsed by people on both the left and right. On the left, he has been endorsed by Democratic assembly candidate Jeff Johnson, Wausau. He also has been endorsed by Republican Reps. Pat Snyder, Wausau, and Donna Rozar, Marshfield.
Cveykus said he strongly supports treatment courts, notably for alcohol and drug abuse. He said the vast majority of criminal cases involve someone with an addiction. The candidate said he preferred to see a person try and lose an addiction rather than warehouse an individual in jail without addiction treatment.
Cveykus said that as a judge he would be a “stickler for rules.” He said that as a youth he was a member of the Math League and is happy when there is a single right answer to a problem.
Cveykus has practiced law in many fields, but has specialized in criminal defense law. He is a former president of the Marathon County Bar and Marathon County Association for Criminal Defense Lawyers. He volunteers with the Wills for Veterans program, the We the People program and Marathon County Historical Society. He is a mock trial coach at D.C. Everest and Wausau West high schools. He is a lecturer at UW-Madison, teaching courses on criminal law, the First Amendment and constitutional law.
Cveykus earned a bachelor’s degree and law degree from UW-Madison. He is married and the couple have one child.
William Harris
William Harris is a native of West Palm Beach, Fla.,where he graduated from Sun Coast High School. He earned his bachelor’s degree cum laude from the University of Tampa and studied abroad at Oxford University. His first experience of a courtroom was when he was four years old and was adopted by his father, a church deacon. Harris earned a law degree at Western Michigan Cooley University. He holds masters degrees in international law and constitutional law. One of his professors was Rep. Jamie Raskin, currently a Maryland congressman.
Harris works as an attorney for a Wausau non-profit organization. He handles civil cases involving divorce, domestic abuse, employment law and tribal law. He is able to practice in both Eastern and Western district federal courts.
Harris is single. He represents District 3 on the Marathon County Board of Supervisors and sits on the Health and Human Services Board and Social Services Board. Harris is president of the Wausau Fire and Police Commission and Wausau Police Task Force. He is a board director for many organizations, including the Hmong American Center, the Wausau Boys and Girls Club, Wausau River District, the New Beginnings Refugee Board and Marathon County Diversity Study Advisory Group.
Harris said he will be able to bring “different experiences as a diverse candidate” to the Marathon County bench.
He said that as a judge he will seek to know the people who would appear in his courtroom. ”I want to understand people who come before me and understand their needs and problems,” he said.
Harris said that while poor people are able to be represented in criminal court by a public defender, the justice system does not provide legal help to low income people in civil law matters. He said this “lack of access” is an issue to be dealt with.
Harris said he believes in using justice alternatives to address the large backlog of cases in the county court system. He supports drug and alcohol courts as a way to reduce recidivism.
The candidate said a judge’s role is “not to be a legislator” but rather to “respect the law, uphold the law and to be fair.”
Harris said that if elected judge he would be a “stickler for decorum” in his court. People in court, he said, will need to dress and act appropriately. He said he will be a “tough” judge, if needed, especially in issues of public safety, but also empathetic to people and their problems.
Harris said it is a judge’s job to apply the law after hearing arguments from both sides of an issue. He said, for example, he understands how tenants and landlords can disagree over things. He said he will listen to both sides.
Harris said it is important not just to render fair decisions but also to be able to explain decisions in plain English to “everyday folks.”
“I am a down to earth person,” he said. “I want people to understand the decisions I make, whether it be for either side, and that they will be fair. That’s the person I am.”
William Harris
