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From descriptions of the behavior of Len Kachinsky, a municipal judge in Wisconsin, which were published in the Winter 2020 issue of the Judicial Conduct Reporter. His colleague, identified as M.B., is a court manager whom Kachinsky was charged with but not convicted of stalking in July 2019. WWRD stands for “What would Reagan do?”

In March 2017, Judge Kachinsky posted a public comment on M.B.’s Facebook page stating that M.B. was “on her second honeymoon” at “an undisclosed location,” which was incorrect. A few days later, the judge hid behind a counter at the court office. When M.B. walked in, he popped up and shouted “Roar!” startling M.B. On three occasions, the judge went to the court office, sat close to M.B.’s desk, and did nothing except tap his pen and make “cat noises”—in one instance this went on for forty-five minutes. On another occasion, the judge told M.B. a story about a dog being raped. Once, when alone with M.B. in the office, the judge lunged over her desk, knocking some items off, and whispered, “Are you afraid of me now?” That evening, after cutting his arm, he left a bloodstained envelope on his desk where M.B. could see it. Later, the judge wrote an email to M.B.: “By this time next week some things are going to happen that will cause a lot of fire and fury at the Municipal Building. No, I am not resigning. Just be psychologically prepared. Have a good weekend.” Two weeks later, the judge put up a poster that had a picture of the manager and the caption: i am from the government and i am here to help you. wwrd #notmetoo. The judge also posted a page from the employee handbook titled sexual harassment, having highlighted the word “sexual” seven times in yellow.


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February 2021

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