LETTER: Voiland’s record shows he is not qualified to be a judge

To Ozaukee Press:

I was pleased to read in Ozaukee Press that the audit of the accounts managed by the Ozaukee County clerk of courts showed no errors or irregularities. That audit was ordered based on the allegations made by Judge Joseph Voiland.

Over the last three years, Voiland has leveled claims of misconduct in public office against a fellow judge, the court commissioner and clerk of courts. His claims were first investigated by the state attorney general’s office and a second time by retired Judge Patrick Fiedler.

The attorney general closed his investigation when Voiland refused to provide any additional information. Fiedler concluded that Voiland’s allegations of criminal conduct were baseless. Fiedler found a few errors in an office that handles thousands of documents. He concluded that mistakes were either human errors that were easily correctable or were understandable when taken in context.

According to the article, communication at the Justice Center is now an issue. Is it really surprising that communications are chilly after Voiland leveled unfounded allegations of felonies being committed by fellow Justice Center officials? I would expect nothing less.

How much has the Voiland saga cost the state and Ozaukee County? Is it $50,000, $100,000 or more? Costs for the attorney general’s office were incurred before Voiland decided to walk away. Then there were charges for Fiedler and his investigator. Who picked up the costs for the attorneys representing the county employees involved?

What about the lost time at work for county workers who had to work on the investigations instead of their regular work?
What about the damage to the county’s reputation?

I did not know much about Voiland when he ran in 2013. It goes without saying that a highly regarded judge’s reputation is earned. Voiland has had almost six years to establish a reputation as a qualified jurist. He has not done that. Instead he has developed a reputation for questionable legal decisions, numerous substitutions and petty complaints in addition to the problems enumerated above.  

I have been a resident of Ozaukee County for over 24 years and feel the county deserves better.

Voters should think about that if Voiland runs for re-election in April 2019.

John McCormick
Mequon