She has worked as prosecutor for the Outagamie County district attorney’s office and has handled family law, business litigation, employment law and personal injury litigation for a private firm. She also served as claims council for American Family Mutual Insurance and as a consultant for Lawrence University on sexual harassment and sexual assault.
During that time, Krueger, 53, gained a reputation not only as knowledgeable of the law, but also respectful of opposing counsel and the defendants standing before the judge.
Now, she is the one sitting on the bench — Gov. Jim Doyle appointed her to the Outagamie County Circuit Court Branch 2 to replace Dennis Luebke last September. In a few months in the position, those traits have shined through.
Because of her fairness, temperament and breadth of experience, we recommend retaining Krueger in the April 1 election. She is opposed by Dan Hoff, a partner in the law firm of Glenn, Hoff & Hoff S.C.
While Hoff, 44, also has a list of impressive credentials — including an award for his firm for providing free legal service for victims of domestic abuse in the Fox Valley — we believe Krueger makes the better choice for the judgeship.
More than half of Hoff’s practice is in family law, while Krueger’s experience in longer and broader. Also, she seems to better understand that to effect change, the judicial system must address the underlying problems that contribute to crime, such as drug and alcohol addition. She lists needs for the county such as mental health services and treatment for juveniles.
“There is a dearth of those programs,” she said, especially the ones that deal with depression and alcohol and drug problems.
When talking with The Post-Crescent, she emphasized the importance of showing compassion to those who come before her. “I realize being in court is a very stressful for most people,” she said.
At the same time, she is well versed in the law and upholds it.
Hoff said he is running because he finally has the life and legal experience to run for judge. On those terms, Krueger beats him.
During this campaign, Hoff has stressed “protecting conservative values,” and not legislating from the bench.
However, we don’t see Krueger doing that now. And she has made the point that judges should not decide cases based on personal bias, political views or prejudice.
She told The Post-Crescent, “I believe a non-partisan judiciary is a critical element of the American system of government.”
Hoff said he is tough on crime. Beyond cracking down on multiple offenders, which is admirable in many circumstances, it seems like a vague notion. Hoff makes a good point about emphasizing efficiency in the courtroom.
When Krueger accepted the judgeship, her branch had a backlog of some 760 cases, partly because there had not been a judge in that court in the previous five months. Some major cases had been left open and she admits the first few months were “fairly daunting.”
Tags: amp, family, Family Law, fox valley, last september, rth, universi