MADISON, WI- After speaking on the Assembly floor in favor of Assembly Bill 965—relating to: picketing or parading at the residence of a judge with the intent to interfere with, obstruct, or impede the administration of justice or influence any judge and providing a penalty, Representative Shelia Stubbs (D-Madison) released the following statement:

“In our state, justices and judges are charged with preserving fairness, integrity, and impartiality. To ensure that justice is served, the decisions of judges and other court officials must be immune to external influences and interests. I would like to thank Representative Ron Tusler and Senator Van Wanggaard for their work on this bill.

Protesting a judge's decision is an expression of free speech. However, a line is crossed when protestors gather outside a judge or justice’s residence. According to data from the Wisconsin Supreme Court Marshal’s office, there have been nearly 150 threats made against Wisconsin judges in the last year. The assassination of Circuit Court Judge John Roemer in 2022 in his home illustrates the need to protect the residences of court officials.

By prohibiting demonstrations and picketing outside of a court official’s home, we will preserve the integrity of our judicial system and the decisions it renders. No member of the judiciary can make a truly impartial and fair decision from a place of fear for their own safety. We want to ensure that our court officials continue to serve their communities with the highest possible adherence to the standards of justice.

We cannot allow outside pressure to shape our court decisions. Assembly Bill 965 implements protections for the safety of judiciary members to ensure the law is executed fairly and appropriately.”