Subversives gather in Milwaukee

No, not the tea ceremonialists, the Office of the Wisconsin State Public Defender, a creation of the people's duly elected representatives in the Wisconsin legislature, which holds its annual criminal defense conference this coming Thursday and Friday.

Featured presenters include such subversives and subversive-enablers as Anne W. Reed of Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren S.C., a noted expert on juries, and Prof. Daniel D. Blinka of Marquette University, who literally wrote the book on evidence in Wisconsin.

According to Michael Gableman's — who is a Wisconsin Supreme Court justice — own defense attorney, Mr. Jim Bopp of Terre Haute, IN, criminal defense work is indicative of a "willingness to subvert our system of criminal, uh, bringing criminals into account."*

Gableman's legally authorized agent's fascinating observation was presumably in oblique reference to that notorious documentary proclamation of subversion, the United States Constitution.

It may helpfully be recalled that roughly one year ago the freshly installed Gableman told the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel:

I'm very much looking forward to my new role, and my new role as I perceive it is going to be to apply the law fairly and consistently and to treat everyone I encounter with respect.

To be fair, he did refer to that role 'as he perceives it.'

Gableman also claimed he hoped to "meet with public defenders at their conference in October." The conference was in September, which perhaps explains why he didn't show up to encounter anybody.

I wouldn't expect to see him this week either. Although Gableman has been known to hobnob locally with the tea party crowd.

* sub-vert vb 1 : OVERTHROW, RUIN 2 : CORRUPT

It's not exactly a compliment, nor particularly respectful.