Some things to consider before you cast your vote for Iron County District Attorney.

Did you know?

Iron County, Wisconsin has the HIGHEST criminal case dismissal rate out of all 72 Wisconsin counties.

A 2008 study by the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Department of Journalism concluded that of all 72 counties in Wisconsin, Iron County, under District Attorney Martin Lipske, had the highest percentage of dismissals in criminal cases over the prior 3-year period.42% of all Iron County criminal cases during that period were dismissed outright.

The conviction rate is much worse than the study reflects, however, because many of the cases not yet dismissed languish for years with no action whatsoever. Cases going back at least 12 years remain pending with no action for years.

In the 4 years since the study done by UW-Milwaukee, things have gotten worse. Lipske has compiled the following record in felony cases (updated to August 1st).

2009: 63 felony cases filed, 15 felony convictions.
2010: 64 felony cases filed, 11 felony convictions.
2011: 52 felony cases filed, 8 felony convictions.
2012: 44 felony cases filed, 2 felony convictions.

 Iron County is a small county with a small caseload. It should not have the lowest conviction rate of all 72 Wisconsin Counties. 

(the above facts and figures are re-produced here from literature produced by Tony Stella)

Did you also know that the current Iron County District Attorney Martin J. Lipske is still currently BARRED from practicing law in the State of Minnesota?

[ Disciplinary Action against Martin J. Lipske - MINNESOTA ]

The State of Minnesota suspended his law license as a discplinary measure after the State of Wisconsin also disbarred him for 2 years after being repeatedly reported to Office of Lawyer Regulation (OLR) for lying to his clients, taking money from clients he was not entitled to and failure to perform routine duties and tasks he was paid to do by his clients along with other reasons relating to general lack of diligence and competence in his work. It took him nearly 4 years to get his license reinstated to practice law again in the State of Wisconsin.

And if this wasn't enough... After being disbarred for 2 years in 1990, he attempted to get his license reinstated in 1992 but, his petition for reinstatement was DENIED as he had still failed to reimburse his clients with the money he kept he shouldn't have and hand over these clients files, he failed to comply with Supreme Court rules, failed to cooperate during proceedings to reinstate his license, failed to file his tax returns and to timely pay his taxes and misrepresented on an application for an insurance brokers license.

He was only finally reinstated in January of 1994 and he ran for Iron County DA and was elected just MONTHS after getting his license reinstated.

Please take the time to read the following link, you will be SHOCKED by the repeated complaints filed against Lipske for misconduct by his previous clients. You will also see he had already been privately reprimanded by the OLR prior to his suspension and that he also represented a client in the state of Minnesota when he was not licensed to do so.

A referee looking into the misconduct reported stated that Mr. Lipske "engaged in conduct" involving "DISHONESTY, FRAUD, DECEIT OR MISREPRESENTATION."

[ Disciplinary Action against Martin J Lipske - WISCONSIN ]

How serious is a 2 year suspension in Wisconsin? VERY. It is reserved as a severe disciplinary action only.

For example, take Ex- Vilas County District Attorney David Penn who also was suspended for 2 years. While serving as Vilas County district attorney from 1987 through 1992, Penn used marijuana and cocaine, for which he was subsequently convicted. Penn also acted as district attorney in respect to referral and prosecution of nine people who had used illegal drugs with him or had personal knowledge of his drug use.

 [ Disciplinary Proceedings Against Vilas County DA David Penn ]

*** an interesting side note to this story is that David Penn was AGAIN arrested for possession of cocaine after his suspension. Judge Madden was assigned to his case and dismissed his case after Penn's initial appearance.

Here are some articles the Daily Globe published about Mr. Lipske when he originally ran for Iron County DA in 1994. 

September 6, 1994 - Ironwood Daily Globe

 His response to this article.

September 9, 1994

This website also contains extensive coverage and evidence of how DA Lipske acted in the case of Don Miller including destruction of KEY evidence in Don's case and getting caught LYING to the Department of Corrections in retaliation over the Free Don Miller websites to name a few. Please read about his part in Don's case along with thinking about what else I have presented here before casting your important vote on November 6th, 2012.