Racine County Judge Suspended For “Unethical” Behavior

On a unanimous vote, the Wisconsin Supreme Court has suspended a judge in Racine County for what it calls “obviously unethical” behavior.  The order issued Tuesday cited two cases from 2014 which were tried before Judge Michael Piontek.  In one of the cases, Piontek called the prosecutor without notifying the defense attorney.  In another, he did an independent internet investigation and relied on incorrect information when he passed sentence.