Thursday, March 08, 2007

Let me consult the lawyer on this

The Cheddarsphere's legal counsel, Rick Esenberg, explains the issues surrounding Judge Annette Ziegler and her potential conflicts of interest.
I have commented on allegations that Ziegler acted on cases when she had a conflict of interest. More facts have come out and, although the reportage has not been awful, there is a "he said, she said" quality about it that obscures key points - some in a way that is favorable to Judge Ziegler and other in a way that is not.
Rick explains how some of the conflict issues may have some validity (West Bend Savings) and some not (United Health Care). From a political point of view, Ziegler's camp is doing a terrible job defending themselves, but it may not even matter. My bet is that the campaign will still turn on the issues of crime and judicial philosophy and not on ethics and legal rules which are above the heads of most voters. I have the Doyle and Van Hollen campaigns of last fall as my guide to predicting the outcome of this race, and I think it is still Ziegler's to win.