Rich Chiapete Sworn in as New District Attorney
Chiapete succeeds District Attorney Mike Nieskes, who was appointed judge.
Photos
Rich Chiapete was sworn in Monday afternoon as Racine County District Attorney, taking the oath of office from his former boss.
Mike Nieskes left the Racine County District Attorney's Office when Gov. Scott Walker appointed him to the bench, where he replaced the late Dennis Barry. Chiapete served seven years as deputy district attorney, until the governor appointed him to succeed Nieskes.
He took the oath of office in Nieskes' courtroom, in front of a standing-room-only crowd.
"I promise to do my very best to live up to the expectations of this office," Chiapete said.
There is a long history of excellence in the Racine County District Attorney's Office, he said, from the district attorneys to the assistant district attorneys and support staff. The office is the third-largest of the 71 district attorney's offices in the state. They have a higher caseload per attorney than Milwaukee County's office, he said, with the 18 attorneys prosecuting between 3,400-3,500 misdemeanor cases, 1,700 felonies, 500-600 juvenile cases and thousands of traffic cases every year.
"Each case is separate and distinct," he said. "I will be the hammer in a case that requires a hammer. But that's not every case. I am open to working with other agencies."
Chiapete has been a strong proponent of alternatives to incarceration programs operating in the county, and said he intends to continue working with those programs, and with specialty courts — like a veterans court — as they are available.
"This job is a search for the truth, and a search for justice, and I believe in that," he said.
Chiapete finished to a standing ovation.
County Executive Jim Ladwig emceed the event, which also introduced Patricia Hanson as the new deputy district attorney.
James R Hoffa
11:08 pm on Monday, March 12, 2012
Rich is a great guy and will make an excellent DA!
A class act all the way, I have nothing but the utmost respect for him!
mau
2:48 pm on Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Your opinion, which is more conservative in these two races.
Mike Nieskes or Mike Piontek for Branch 5 County Circuit Court
Tim Boyle or Mark Nielsen for Branch 10 County Circuit Court
James R Hoffa
3:49 pm on Tuesday, March 13, 2012
@mau -
I've personally worked with all of the candidates and can therefor make the following endorsements in good conscious and with full understanding about who the candidates are and what they represent.
Branch 5 - There's no question that Nieskes is the right man for the job. It's not that Piontek is necessarily bad, it's just that Nieskes is better. Politically/ideologically speaking, Nieskes is actually a reformed liberal transplant originally from Illinois that took a complete 180 when he had children and is now a steadfast fiscal and social conservative. Piontek is more moderate, and although he's a decent advocate of business, he's also softer on crime - a fiscal conservative and social moderate/liberal. My endorsement goes to Nieskes.
James R Hoffa
3:49 pm on Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Branch 10 - To tell you the honest trust, I'm not particularly thrilled with either candidate. I'll also fully disclose that Nielsen and I had a personal beef some time ago that left a sour taste in my mouth for him ever since. Nielsen is an effective attorney but is extremely arrogant, pompous, and difficult to work with. I can tell you right now that the supporting court staff is hoping and praying that he doesn't win. Boyle is a decent attorney with a fair reputation. He's very humble and for the most part well liked. Politically/ideologically speaking, Nielsen attempts to pose as a conservative but is really an Obama supporting liberal. Boyle is more moderate with both liberal and conservative attributes, but tends to lean closer to the right more often than not. My endorsement in this race goes to Boyle.
Nieskes and Boyle to VICTORY!!!
mau
4:12 pm on Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Thanks James, I was leaning toward Nieskes. I couldn't make a decision with the write-up the Journal Times did on Boyle and Nielsen.
James R Hoffa
12:55 am on Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Attention Fellow Walker Backers - This Is A Call To Arms:
Proudly show your support for Governor Scott Walker, Lieutenant Governor Rebecca Kleefisch, and our fellow State Senators at a rally being held at Brookfield Square Mall on Saturday, March 24th from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
For more information on this event, brought to you by the same grassroots team that organized the highly successful 'Celebrate Walker' rally, please visit the official homepage for the event here:
http://www.facebook.com/events/307338025994069/
Hope to see you all there!!!
GearHead
8:57 am on Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Rich is tough, smart and a class act. I hope I never have to face him (in the courtroom!)
James R Hoffa
4:28 pm on Tuesday, March 13, 2012
@Janine -
You managed to get some great pictures from this event. Thanks for sharing them with us!
James
7:17 pm on Sunday, March 25, 2012
The problem with Nieskes is that he has no experience. He now has to know civil law as well as criminal law and he has NEVER been the slightes bit involved in civil law. He went right from college into an Illinois prosecutors office and stayed a prosecutor until he got the judicial appointment. Civil law is a very important aspect of the job. Mistakes in civil matters cause the appeals courts to be over loaded with bad decisions, cause businesses and people to suffer extreme damage even after winning on appeal, cost the taxpayers a ton of money and cause cases to go on and on and on. In 32 years, Nieskes has never so much as cracked a book on civil litigation or done anything in a civil courtroom. He is absolutely not qualified to be a judge.