MILWAUKEE (WI)
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
By Ernst-Ulrich Franzen for the Journal Sentinel Editorial Board
March 9, 2015
Here’s what we said in August 2013 regarding U.S. District Judge Rudolph T. Randa’s involvement in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee bankruptcy case:
“Should it matter that close family members of a federal judge hearing the Archdiocese of Milwaukee bankruptcy case are buried in archdiocesan cemeteries?
How about when this same judge ruled that the $50 million that the archdiocese holds in trust for its cemeteries was off limits in the bankruptcy case? It might matter. And that’s why U.S. District Judge Rudolph T. Randa should have disclosed his connection to the archdiocese. It’s the judge’s responsibility to disclose potential conflicts, and on the face of it, this looks like a potential conflict.”
On Monday, a federal appeals court agreed, not only overturning Randa’s ruling that the cemetery trust fund was off limits, but arguing that Randa should have disclosed the fact that his own parents and other relatives are buried in a cemetery maintained by the fund.
Here’s what the court had to say: “The Committee argues that a reasonable person would question the judge’s impartiality because he would be emotionally attached to the well being of his family members’ resting places.
Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.