Ziegler Cruising For A Legal Bruising

Recently-elected State Supreme Court Justice Annette Ziegler continues to commit career and reputational suicide.

First she was clueless enough to preside over several cases in her Washington County Courtroom in which she or her husband had a financial or business conflict-of-interest.

Then she minimized the conflicts during her campaign, and has compounded her difficulties by asking her no-doubt embarrassed soon-to-be-colleagues to toss a State Ethics Board inquiry into her troubles.

Now (Tuesday evening) the Court has declined to go along with Ziegler's 'I'm above-the-law' practice and arguments, paving the way for a probable, substantial Ethics Board forfeiture (the proposed hit is $25,000 - - huge by Wisconsin standards) and yet another disciplinary whupping from a separate body concerned with public officials' ethics - - the Wisconsin Judicial Commission.

Hard to imagine a worse introduction to the state's highest court, where case principals will no doubt be wondering - - "and she's sitting in judgement of me?"