Wisconsin Supreme Court To Consider Dispute Over Schimel Training Videos

The Wisconsin Supreme Court will hear oral arguments Tuesday in an open records dispute over training videos made by Attorney General Brad Schimel.

Schimel made the videos in 2009 and 2013 when he was Waukesha County’s District Attorney. One discussed interacting with victims of sensitive crimes, the other discussed prosecution of internet sexual predator cases.

The Wisconsin Democratic Party asked for the videos when Schimel was running for attorney general, but the state Department of Justice refused to turn them over. The DOJ argued that the public interest in disclosing the videos was outweighed by treating crime victims and their families with “dignity and respect for their privacy.”

The DOJ lost that fight at the circuit court and appeals court levels. The appeals court cited a recent state Supreme Court ruling that presumed “complete public access” to public records.