The new Waupaca County District Attorney and County Clerk are eager to get to work.
District Attorney
Veronica Isherwood, who was the former Assistant District Attorney in Waupaca County, defeated Democratic challenger Robert Forseth. Isherwood, who had been Assistant D.A. in Waupaca County since the summer of 2014, says one of the most important things she’s focused on is creating a more efficient office.
“I think the most important thing is to have a quicker response to cases,” said Isherwood. “That charges are filed more quickly, the victims know whether charges are going to be filed or not, and then try to make it go through the court system more quickly. It can take years now and that’s just too long.”
One important concern for voters in the race was how the new District Attorney would handle drunk driving cases. Former Waupaca D.A. John Snider was reprimanded by the State Crimes Victim Rights Board for “violating a crime victim’s statutory right to a speedy disposition of the case.” Isherwood believes when the facts are present, it will be her responsibility to press charges immediately.
“I believe that if we have the facts that the people have been driving drunk, that we’re going to prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law. If the defendant doesn’t want to plead in, then we’ll take that case to the jury, and the jury can decide if that behavior is acceptable in Waupaca County or not, but the District Attorney’s Office will not dismiss those cases.”
Overall Isherwood is excited for her opportunity as District Attorney, and she feels she has the necessary goals in place to make it a more profitable office than in years past.
“I’m excited about generating some revenue sources in the office that are available but haven’t been utilized in the past, and I’m excited about just streamlining the office, going towards paperless, which will save costs and make things more efficient.
She adds, she also wants to make the office more efficient in time management. Isherwood also hopes to work diligently with law enforcement, as she knows how important it is to have their trust during prosecution and investigation.
County Clerk
After a challenging August Primary Election where she stood out above three other Republican challengers, Waupaca County Clerk Elect Jill Lodewegen passed her final challenge against opponent Colleen McCoy.
Lodewegen picked up nearly 15,000 votes in total, and about 8,000 more than McCoy. According to her, it’s her previous professional experience that will guide her in the county clerk position.
“I think I’ve proved in past experiences that I’ll put everything forth and do the best that I can, and hopefully in the long run I’ll be able help save money by finding new ways to doing things more efficiently,” said Lodewegen the morning after the win.
Before running for county clerk, she spent the previous five years working for the County Highway Department. Lodewegen will be replacing longstanding Waupaca County Clerk Mary Robbins, who has become a mainstay in the county clerk’s office for the past two and a half decades. Lodewegen understands the challenges of replacing someone who Waupaca County has come to trust for so long.
”I’m not going to be Mary [Robbins] and I don’t think people expect that of me,” said Lodewegen. “They know I’m going to be new at it, but [Mary] has already said she’d be there for whoever got the office. Nobody has ever done that job before, other than Mary, for the last 26 years.”
Lodewegen explains she understands the county clerk does not create or set policies, rather that they follow the procedures in place, and she’s excited to do just that.
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