Some legal experts and a watch-dog group say Wisconsin needs stronger laws on judicial recusal. As it stands now, the judges themselves decide whether to step aside in a case where there is a conflict of interest or an appearance of a conflict of interest. The nonpartisan group Common Cause sponsored a town hall meeting at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. Fifty-four Wisconsin judges signed a petition for stronger rules in 2017. They want the issue to be revisited, someone other than the judge to make the decision and mandatory disclosure about contributions to a judge’s election campaign.
