WINNEBAGO COUNTY, Wis. — A Wisconsin county judge who displayed his personal handgun as a prop during proceedings and used questionable language while addressing defendants was suspended without pay for conduct “unbecoming a judge,” according to a ruling against him.
The Wisconsin Supreme Court said in a ruling filed Tuesday that Winnebago County Circuit Court Judge Scott C. Woldt displayed his Glock handgun on separate occasions and acted disrespectfully to defendants and their attorneys in other incidents, Bloomberg Law reported.
“A judge who displays a personal gun as a ‘prop’ during a court proceeding and then immediately threatens to use it to kill the defendant if he ever broke into the judge’s residence is not demonstrating the integrity of the judiciary,” the ruling said.
Woldt displayed his handgun, after removing the clip and a round in the chamber, while making remarks during a sentencing hearing June 2, 2015.
“I understand the fear of the victims in this case. When I judge people and I make decisions, the people of this county elected me, and when they elected me they elected me and my beliefs, my thoughts, and they reelected me because they agree with my beliefs and my thoughts and my experiences. Just an example is I’ve been trying to get security into this courthouse. There is none. Any one of you could have walked in today with a gun. None of us would ever know,” Woldt said.
“I can tell you what I do now. This is what I do – (holds up gun). That I keep up here on the bench just because I want to protect myself. Now, I’m not saying you should do that but if I was in your – if I was in your situation, I’d have it on my side all the time. With today’s laws with the Castle Doctrine, you’re lucky you’re not dead because, if you would have come into my house, I keep my gun with me and you’d be dead, plain and simple, but that’s what makes this so scary.”
In another incident, a group of high school students were visiting the courthouse for a Government Day event. Woldt showed off his firearm after a student asked about courthouse security.
In four other incidents ranging from 2009 to 2016, Woldt used questionable language and displayed a pattern of misconduct, the court said.
The court determined that Woldt committed judicial misconduct and recommended he be suspended without pay for seven days starting Aug. 2.
Woldt was appointed to the bench in 2004. He was reelected in 2005, 2011 and 2017. He had never been the subject of private or public judicial discipline.
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