KENOSHA, Wis. — A sitting Kenosha County Circuit Court judge has declined to deny a series of explosive allegations lodged against her in an official complaint filed with the Wisconsin Judicial Commission — allegations that include using the N-word, warning a romantic partner about an impending search warrant, coaching a witness on how to testify against that same partner, and admitting to “innately” ruling against specific attorneys she personally disliked.

Judge Jodi L. Meier (D), who presides over Branch 7 of Kenosha County Circuit Court, was contacted by Kenosha County Eye last week and given a full opportunity to respond to the allegations. She did not deny a single one.

The Complaint

The complaint was filed with the Wisconsin Judicial Commission by a former Kenosha County official who worked on Meier’s judicial campaign and developed what he describes as an extremely close personal friendship with her over the course of more than a year.

In the complaint, the former county official wrote that he and Meier “shared the most intimate and personal details” of their lives, and that over time he witnessed behavior he described as “rather disturbing and unethical” — behavior that gave him serious concern for “the sanctity of the court system.”

In an accompanying narrative submitted with the complaint, the former county official detailed more than a dozen specific incidents. Kenosha County Eye has reviewed those materials in full.

The N-Word Allegation

According to the former county official, Meier called him during a break from a judicial conference to discuss a controversy he was facing at the time. During that conversation, he alleges, Meier expressed puzzlement at why people were so sensitive about ethnic slurs — and then stated that where she was from, it was common to use the N-word freely and that “nobody cared or became offended.”

The former county official told Kenosha County Eye: “If a judge openly uses the N-word, can she be considered fair and neutral while deciding the fate of Black people? This behavior is not behavior becoming of a sitting judge.”

Tipping Off a Criminal Defendant

The complaint details what may be its most legally serious allegation: that Meier used the former county official as a back-channel to warn a man she was romantically involved with about an impending law enforcement search.

According to the complaint, Meier contacted the former county official specifically to inform him that a warrant had been issued and a search of a local business was imminent. The business was co-owned by a former City of Kenosha official who had recently been arrested and with whom Meier was in a romantic relationship at the time.

Meier allegedly asked the former county official to pass that information along to the former city official and his brother, and also provided advice on how additional damaging material might be avoided in any future search. The former county official says he relayed the information that same evening.

The complaint further states that Meier contemplated using the former county official’s personal phone to secretly communicate with the former city official directly — a workaround she considered because judges are prohibited from privately communicating with criminal defendants. According to the complaint, she ultimately decided against it.

Coaching a Witness

The complaint alleges that Meier worked to turn the former county official against the former city official — and then coached him on how to cooperate with prosecutors once she had done so.

According to the complaint, Meier falsely convinced the former county official that law enforcement considered him a possible accessory to the former city official’s alleged crimes, and that cooperating with prosecutors was his only protection. She allegedly coached him on how to define his statements, how to handle cross-examination, and how to frame his involvement — all while privately working to cause the former city official harm.

The former county official wrote that he now believes his decision to approach prosecutors was entirely the product of Meier’s lies and manipulation. “I deeply regret my decision to believe Jodi and turn on him,” he wrote, “and am pained by it still and will be for the rest of my life.”

He also alleges that Meier disclosed to him that she had a private conversation with the former city official’s own defense attorney — another potential ethical violation.

Bias, Judicial Temperament, and Conduct From the Bench

The complaint also addresses Meier’s conduct in her judicial role directly. According to the former county official, Meier admitted to him that she “innately” liked to rule against three specific Kenosha attorneys — one of whom ran against her for the judgeship she now holds.

Meier allegedly referred to two of the three using vulgar and sexist insults, called them jealous of her success, and expressed contempt for multiple colleagues on the bench, describing fellow judges as “dumb” and “ignorant.”

She also allegedly told the former county official that she enjoyed making “dead-beat husbands” cry in court and preferred to send them to jail — a statement that, if accurate, suggests predetermined sentencing outcomes based on personal satisfaction rather than legal merit.

The complaint further alleges that Meier regularly discussed confidential details of pending cases with friends, attorneys, and other judges outside of court, and admitted to asking fellow judges how they would sentence the former city official if he appeared before them.

In one incident, the former county official alleges Meier acknowledged that an inmate had remained incarcerated past his release date due to her oversight. Her reported reaction: “Oh well, what’s another hour?”

The complaint also alleges that Meier accepted gifts and meals from the former county official and others in apparent violation of judicial ethics rules.

“Mayor McCheese”

The complaint also alleges that Meier referred to Kenosha Mayor David Bogdala as “Mayor McCheese” — a mocking reference to the McDonald’s cartoon character.

Kenosha County Eye contacted Mayor Bogdala and asked whether he believed it was appropriate for a sitting judge to use such language about a city’s elected mayor. Bogdala did not respond.

A Body That Almost Never Acts

The Wisconsin Judicial Commission has publicly sanctioned just 30 judges in its nearly 50-year history — an average of less than one per year — despite receiving hundreds of complaints annually. The Commission’s own annual report states that it will dismiss a complaint when the alleged conduct, even if true, would constitute a single and minor violation. In other words, a single instance of misconduct, no matter how serious, may not be enough to trigger action. The complaint against Meier alleges more than a dozen.

No Denial, No Response

Kenosha County Eye contacted Meier by both text message and email, provided her with a summary of the allegations, and gave her a full opportunity to respond, deny, or dispute any of them. She did not.

Kenosha County Eye also asked Meier whether the conduct described in the complaint was consistent with her public image and Catholic faith, which she has emphasized in her public profile. She did not respond to that question either.

The Wisconsin Judicial Commission was also contacted and did not respond.

Judicial Commission proceedings are confidential under state law, meaning any investigation, private reprimand, warning, or other discipline imposed on Meier would not be publicly disclosed unless she consented to its release. There is no indication she has done so.

Background

Meier was appointed to the Kenosha County Circuit Court bench by former Gov. Scott Walker, a Republican, after presenting herself publicly as a conservative candidate. Critics have long argued her record on sentencing and criminal cases has been notably more lenient than her public persona suggested.

The complaint was brought to Kenosha County Eye’s attention following its prior coverage of Meier’s conduct during the Justin Tercek homicide trial, in which multiple relatives of murder victim Andrew Pfannkuche told this publication they believed the proceedings were unfair.

One family member told Kenosha County Eye: “Thank you so much for your story. This has been a joke from day one and I’m glad someone is on our side.”

Andrew Pfannkuche’s brother, himself a veteran prosecutor with more than 30 years of experience, told this publication that if Meier had conducted herself the same way in the county where he practices, “she would have been fired by 5 o’clock the same day.”

The family took particular issue with Meier playing Jeopardy and distributing candy during jury selection in a brutal homicide case, while repeatedly attempting to involve both the victim’s family and the defendant’s family in the game.

“Excuse me, we were just not in the mood to play Jeopardy,” one family member said. “Unfortunately, we were about to see photos of Andrew brutally murdered along with his dog Jake, and we just didn’t think it was the right time.”

A Note on Press Credentials

Kenosha County Eye has been credentialed  to photograph proceedings in her courtroom on numerous occasions. Although Meier can never ban KCE from attending hearings, she can revoke our photography rights. We have also been told that she has threatened to revoke those credentials if this story is published.

We’re publishing it anyway 😉

Editor’s Note

The allegations in this report remain allegations. Judge Meier has been given ample opportunity to dispute them and has declined. Kenosha County Eye will continue to report on this matter as it develops.