APPLETON, Wis–An Outagamie County judge will resign from his seat on the bench before the end of his term. Wisconsin Watch reports that La Crosse County District Attorney Tim Gruenke says Judge Mark McGinnis will step down in February following an investigation into his handling of a case involving a Freedom contractor.
According to Gruenke, McGinnis ordered the contractor to pay back money taken as a deposit on an uncompleted project involving an employee in McGinnis’s court office or face time in jail. The contractor was in court for a probation violation at the time, and was never charged in connection with that private matter.
The state Department of Justice launched an investigation into the matter in 2023. Gruenke tells Wisconsin Watch that he will not recommend charges be filed against McGinnis based on his plan to step down and concerns about the separation of powers in charging a judge for a decision from the bench.
