Three candidates for Kewaunee County judge

Three Kewaunee County attorneys have announced their candidacy for Kewaunee County Circuit Court judge in the upcoming April 2016 election.

The position is open due to the retirement of  Judge Dennis J. Mleziva, who announced last month he will not seek reelection after serving on the bench for 24 years.

The Kewaunee County Circuit Court Judge is a nonpartisan position.  The primary to reduce the field to two candidates will be held on February 16, 2016 and the general election will be held on April 5, 2016.

The three candidates are Keith A. Mehn, Andrew P. Naze and Jeffrey R. Wisnicky

Keith A. Mehn

Keith A. Mehn has has practiced law for more than 30 years in Kewaunee County in the law firm of Slatky, Wolski and Mehn and was appointed by Judge Mleziva as circuit court commissioner in 1992.  For many years, Mehn has been and continues to serve as the on-call court commissioner who fills in for the judge in court and makes decisions in time-sensitive cases when the judge is unavailable.

A 1985 graduate of the University of Wisconsin Law School, Mehn also serves as the assistant city attorney for the city of Kewaunee and as Kewaunee County assistant family court commissioner.  As a city attorney, Mehn provides legal assistance to the city of Kewaunee and prosecutes ordinance violations on behalf of the city.

As assistant family court commissioner, Mehn conducts hearings in family law matters and executes court orders in domestic abuse and harassment cases.

"I am proud of my 30-plus years providing legal advice and counseling to the citizens of Kewaunee County," said Mehn.  "Having a private law practice and also providing legal services to municipalities and as a circuit court commissioner, I am uniquely qualified to serve as Kewaunee County circuit court judge."

In addition to his legal career, Mehn is a director of Kewaunee Area Scholarships Inc., a member of the Kewaunee Lions, and a past director of Build the Future Foundation.   He is also a prior member of the Kewaunee Jaycees and the Luxemburg Chamber of Commerce, and he served on the board of directors of the Kewaunee Chamber of Commerce.   He is past president of the Door/Kewaunee Bar Association and the Kewaunee Bar Association.   He has coached youth baseball in both Casco and Tisch Mills, youth fall football in Kewaunee and assisted the Kewaunee Chiefs baseball team.

Mehn and his wife Michele have a son, Alex, and a daughter Sara Miller, who resides in the city of Kewaunee with her husband, Ty Miller.   They also have three granddaughters.

Andrew P. Naze

Andrew P. Naze is Kewaunee County's district attorney.   He was engaged in the private practice of law before being elected district attorney in 2003.

In his 12 years as prosecutor, Naze successfully prosecuted difficult and serious cases.

"I have had the opportunity to learn what the people of this county need and want in a trial judge," said Naze.  "We must continue to serve the needs of all citizens who come before the court, while at the same time doing more with less tax dollars."

A 1995 graduate of St John's University, Naze received his undergraduate degree in political science.  He graduated from Thomas Jefferson law school in 2000 and worked at the law office of Warpinski and VandeCastle before becoming district attorney.

Naze has served as president of the Kewaunee and Kewaunee/Door Bar Associations.   He is currently a member of the Luxemburg-Casco football booster board and has served as a youth football and baseball coach.

He lives in Luxemburg with his wife, Lisa, a Luxemburg-Casco Intermediate School teacher, and their children, Ben and Ashlyn.  His late father, Peter Naze, served as a circuit court judge in Brown County from 1987 to 2008.

Jeffrey R. Wisnicky

Jeffrey R. Wisnicky is the corporate counsel and assistant district attorney for Kewaunee County.   Wisnicky served as the interim county administrator in early 2015 during the search for the successor county administrator.

Wisnicky was born and raised in the town of Carlton and is a graduate of Kewaunee High School, the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point and Northern Illinois University College of Law.   He is on the Board of Governors of the State Bar of Wisconsin, the Wisconsin Association of Corporate Counsel and the Kewaunee Bar Association.

"As a candidate for Judge Mleziva's open seat on the bench, I am committed to striving every day to carry on the high standards set by Judge Mleziva," said Wisnicky.

Over the years, Wisnicky has been involved in Kewaunee Area Scholarships Inc., Kewaunee Build a Future, Kewaunee Violence Intervention Project, Kewaunee County Farm Technology Days 2017, youth flag football, youth soccer coach, and served as a volunteer for Breakfast on the Farm and Hurray for Hollywood.

Wisnicky and his wife, Blair, live in the city of Kewaunee with their four children: Grace, Jackson, Scarlett and Harper.   Blair is a teacher with the Kewaunee School District and the family is a member of Holy Rosary Parish in Kewaunee.

This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press Gazette: Three candidates for Kewaunee County judge