Municipal Court judge responds to Onalaska City Council

Coulee Regional Municipal Court Judge John Brinckman sent a statement in response to the Hawkins Ash Report submitted last December to the Onalaska City Council.

In his response, Judge Brinckman addresses the audit findings individually.

Onalaska’s Mayor and two of the city’s council members say Coulee Regional Municipal Court Judge John Brinckman is not running his office as intended.

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Onalaska’s Mayor and two of the city’s council members say Coulee Regional Municipal Court Judge John Brinckman is not running his office as intended.

The Onalaska city leaders say an audit of the Joint Municipal Court, which oversees seven jurisdictions, turned up dozens of boxes filled with citations that were never processed.

If Brinckman does not resign and a recall election is not held, Onalaska says it will leave the Coulee Region Joint Municipal Court system.

“At the end of 2018, if we would choose nobody and not to re-up, we would, at least the city of Onalaska, would be out of it. Then it would be up to the remaining municipalities to figure out what they want to do with Judge Brinckman,” said Onalaska City Council member Ron Gjersten.

Judge Brinckman responded by saying he will not resign.

He says he should not be held accountable for the clerk of courts’ job and has proposed a meeting to help clear up any confusion.

“The concerns that they have expressed, that I’ve read about, are not justified. So, again, that will come out when we have a meeting,” said Brinckman.

The Coulee Region Joint Municipal Court system oversees police jurisdictions in Onalaska, Holmen, West Salem, Bangor, and the Towns of Shelby, Campbell, and Holland.

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