• Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • Linkedin

Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service

Your neighborhood. Your News.

newsMilwaukee NNSMilwaukee NNSSearch
Subscribe to NNS today!
Advertisement
  • Home
  • News
    • Arts and Recreation
    • Community
    • Economic Development
    • Education
    • Health and Wellness
    • Housing
    • Public Safety
    • NNS Spotlight
    • Special Report
  • Posts From Community
    • Submit a Story
  • Community Voices
  • How To
  • Multimedia
    • NNS Local Video
    • Photos
    • NNS on Lake Effect
    • NNS WGLB 1560 Radio
  • Subscribe
  • Donate
  • About
    • Staff
    • Partners
    • News 414
    • The neighborhoods we cover
Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service

Diederich College of Communication, Marquette University

You are here: Home / Home / Carousel / Dedicated court administrator ‘epitome of a public servant’

Dedicated court administrator ‘epitome of a public servant’

December 13, 2013 by Hannah Byron Leave a Comment

Share this...
Share on Facebook
Facebook
Pin on Pinterest
Pinterest
Tweet about this on Twitter
Twitter
Share on LinkedIn
Linkedin

This is one in an occasional series of profiles on the people behind the scenes who make Milwaukee work.

Piles of manila envelopes filled with court records are stacked on the desk, a labyrinth made of paper. At his desk sits James E. Wilson, assistant administrator for Milwaukee County’s Criminal Division of the Office of the Clerk of the Circuit Court. A pink highlighter in one hand and a criminal court record in the other, he is about to read a case.

Only after the seal is broken does Wilson know what he is up against. He may see a photo of the window a victim fell through. Or it might be an image of a dead child in the morgue.

Wilson manages the evidence for criminal cases that range from traffic citations to homicides. He is also in charge of the 40 deputy clerks who staff the 23 courts in the criminal division. He manages their training and said he makes sure each court is staffed with a competent deputy court clerk at all times.

Wilson has been in the position for eight years. He said he and his clerks are a close-knit group, but he always maintains a professional relationship with them.

Sarah Gunn, senior administrator in the circuit court clerk’s office, has worked with Wilson since he started the job. According to Gunn, Wilson is a dedicated and caring manager.

“Jim is able to balance the needs of his employees with the needs of the organization, (and) to ensure that we have adequate coverage to run the criminal courts,” Gunn said.

Chief Deputy Clerk of the Circuit Court James Smith praised Wilson’s work ethic and ability to balance professionalism with a sense of humor.

“He is a competent manager and works hard to help our staff reach their potential,” Smith noted. “He is very good at working with people of all backgrounds, education levels and positions within the court system.”

As much as Wilson enjoys his job, he said viewing the contents of criminal case files takes an emotional toll. Inside the evidence room, where the records are stored, guns, drugs and files fill the room from top to bottom. For Wilson, these objects are reminders of horrific stories.

“I have a hard time dealing with the murder, sexual assaults and the ugliness of our community,” Wilson said. “And that is all you see all day.”

Images of child victims are the most difficult for Wilson to handle. Having a daughter and nieces of his own, Wilson said he often relates the victims to his own family. Wilson keeps a picture of his nieces in a frame on his desk, and his phone shows a picture of his daughter at her wedding.

After reading records and looking at disturbing images day after day, Wilson still manages to remain positive. To cope with what he sees, he said he talks to his wife about certain cases, gardens and plays with his nieces. He does not watch the news.

“I already know,” said Wilson. “I know who died, and how they died.”

Wilson said he could not imagine himself doing anything else. He credits his father with teaching him to treat people the way he would want to be treated. The values his father instilled in him led to his career in public work, he added.

“Jim is the epitome of a public servant,” remarked Tammy Kruczynski, criminal division administrator. “His willingness to serve the public and provide excellent customer service is undeniable.”

When Wilson closes a record, he files it away on a shelf alongside the countless others that line the walls in the evidence room. But the stories stay with him.

Share this...
Share on Facebook
Facebook
Pin on Pinterest
Pinterest
Tweet about this on Twitter
Twitter
Share on LinkedIn
Linkedin

Filed Under: Carousel, Community, Home, Neighborhoods, News Tagged With: Community, court, jim wilson, law, profile, video

Avatar

About Hannah Byron

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Advertisement

Top Stories

Advertisement

How To …

How to avoid stimulus check scams

A new round of stimulus checks will likely also bring out a new round of scams. Here’s what to watch out for.

More "How To" articles

Advertisement

Recommended Reading

A Vaccine Reality Check

The Atlantic

UWM study on the state of Black Milwaukee describes the city as ‘the epitome of a 21st century racial regime’

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Videos Show How Federal Officers Escalated Violence in Portland

The New York Times

These mayors want to fight Covid-19 and the recession with one big idea: A guaranteed income

Vox

The World John Lewis Helped Create

The Atlantic

News

  • Arts and Recreation
  • Economic Development
  • Education
  • Health and Wellness
  • Housing
  • Public Safety
  • NNS Spotlight
  • Special Reports
  • Multimedia
    • NNS Videos
    • Photos
    • NNS on Lake Effect Radio

Engage with us

  • Posts from Community
  • Community Voices
  • Submit a Story

About NNS

  • Staff
  • Partners
  • News414
  • The neighborhoods we cover
  • Internship opportunities
  • Careers
  • Terms of use
  • Advertise

Connect with us

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • YouTube
  • LinkedIn
  • RSS feed

Communities

Contact

mailing address
Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Diederich College of Communication
Marquette University
1131 W. Wisconsin Ave.
Johnston Hall 430
Milwaukee, WI 53233

email
info@milwaukeenns.org

phone & fax
PHONE: 414.604.6397 FAX: 414.288.6494

Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service is a project of Diederich College of Communication and Marquette University.
© 2020 Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service. Terms of use.
1131 W. Wisconsin Ave., Milwaukee WI 53233 • info@milwaukeenns.org

Copyright © 2021 · News Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in