4-2-19 lakeside municipal court judge

For the first time since the Lakeside Municipal Court was created there is a contested race for the office.  Ripon attorney Doug Iverson is challenging incumbent municipal court judge Jerry Jaye in Tuesday’s election.  Iverson lives in Ripon with his wife and three children.   He works as an attorney with an emphasis on elder law and special needs planning.  He has previously worked as a volunteer special  prosecutor in Green Lake County.   Iverson serves on the Ripon city council and Ripon Fire District board of directors and Ripon Library Board.  Iverson says he is running because he feels a need to serve.  “I wanted to serve the wider community and second I wanted to help out, serve more.  Public service is something I really want to do and I also think that everyone should have a choice,”  Iverson told WFDL news.  Iverson says unlike the incumbent municipal court judge, he has a legal background.   Jaye defeated two challengers when the court was first established more than 20 years ago and has been re-elected without opposition ever since.  “The court has been a passion for me.  My opponent has stated that he is an attorney so he would be better qualified.  Approximately 50 percent of the municipal court judges in Wisconsin are non-attorneys.  Its not a requirement of the statutes for that position.”  When it comes to issues like school truancy and underage drinking, Iverson says the goal should be helping the student turn their life around so they don’t make the same mistakes.  Jaye says he treats everyone who appears in municipal court fairly and works with each individual to try to make sure they can pay their forfeiture.   Jaye says his experience gives him the edge.