Krista G. LaFave
WAUWATOSA MUNICIPAL JUDGE
On April 5, 2022, Wauwatosa voters elected Krista LaFave as
Wauwatosa's Municipal Court Judge.
Judge LaFave is the first woman judge in Wauwatosa, and only the third judge to serve the City. Her term began on May 1, 2022. She enjoys serving the City of Wauwatosa, its residents, guests, and the greater Milwaukee area through this important court.
Judge LaFave faces ongoing constraints on the Court
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Dear Reader,
As Wauwatosa’s Municipal Court Judge, I need to share a serious problem that's making it harder for our court to serve the community. Under the state statutes, the Common Council determines the Court budget, but the judge determines the hiring, firing, and work performed by staff. Wauwatosa has budgeted for one full-time Court Administrator and one part-time court clerk / assistant to staff the Court. Despite numerous conversations and meetings with city administration over the past year, I have been unsuccessful in my attempt to fill the critical vacated part-time position in a logical way that would ensure the continued efficient and smooth functioning of the court.
Last year, I sought to replace a recently vacated part-time position with a single individual. Through a footnote in the Budget, the Mayor and City Administrator forced the Court to apply a patchwork approach using several existing employees in an attempt to address this staffing need. Each would only provide a few hours of coverage each week, and all would need extensive training in this specialized, new-to-them role. The Court's only full-time employee, who already had an overflowing plate, would have been tasked with training the multiple employees.
Under the statutes, the judge hires her staff. I was presented with limited options from within the city clerk's pre-existing staff, most of which who were already shared across multiple departments. In order not to over-burden my sole full-time court administrator, I selected the one staff member who was not shared with another department. Due to the time demands on this employee from his primary department, training has been difficult and slow. I asked repeatedly for more of his time for training, but these requests were ignored.
This framework has created more work for the court’s only full-time employee, the Court Administrator. This dedicated, 20-year employee has spent over a year working beyond her capacity, taking few vacations or days off. Citations have increased in the past year, meaning more phone calls, more time spent preparing for court, and more time spent processing order. The court administrator consistently keeps the court running and preparing for the 1-2 court nights a week. One of my fears in this situation is now coming true: she is retiring in early 2025, primarily due to the burdens placed on her by the Mayor’s budget and the working conditions the City Administrator has forced upon the court.
Clearly, this arrangement does not work and is not sustainable. With the departure of the court administrator, the court faces longer wait times, delays in cases, and potentially significant consequences for people who rely on the court for justice.
I was elected in part to bring a fresh perspective to the Court, including changes and advancement. I cannot do this without sufficient staff. Several projects have sat on the backburner for more than a year as we try to keep the court running during these staffing shortages.
This is about ensuring that Wauwatosa’s Municipal Court is functioning at the highest level possible and meeting the needs of all parties. Let’s not let this situation get worse. Please contact your alders and ask that they support my request to remove the footnote so that I may hire one single person for the part-time position. It is my understanding from the Finance Department that the Court needs an additional $38,000 in its budget to hire one individual. I have reviewed the budget and have provided ideas to the Alders for how to finance this position. Thank you in advance for your time and consideration.
Respectfully,
Krista G. LaFave
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