KENOSHA, Wis. — A former Kenosha County judicial assistant who courthouse insiders describe as one of the most respected and well-liked employees in the courthouse has prevailed in her appeal of a decision denying her unemployment benefits after she was fired over an Amazon Echo Show device that sat openly on her desk for years.

The former judicial assistant worked for Kenosha County for more than 15 years and spent time assigned to both a branch courtroom and later Intake Court before her termination.

According to multiple courthouse employees, attorneys, and others familiar with the situation, the employee was widely respected by judges, court commissioners, prosecutors, defense attorneys, and courthouse staff.

Several courthouse insiders who spoke to Kenosha County Eye on the condition of anonymity out of fear of retaliation alleged that Judge Chad Kerkman had wanted the employee removed from the courthouse long before her termination.

Sources described a strained relationship between Kerkman and the former clerk while she worked in his courtroom. Multiple insiders alleged that Kerkman frequently lashed out at litigants, attorneys, and courthouse staff. According to those sources, the employee eventually transferred from Kerkman’s courtroom because she could no longer tolerate the work environment.

One incident repeatedly mentioned by courthouse insiders involved a dispute over the height of the employee’s computer monitor. Sources alleged that Kerkman became angry when she resisted moving the monitor because she believed doing so would cause neck pain.

After transferring from Kerkman’s courtroom, the employee spent approximately two years assigned to Intake Court. According to courthouse insiders, she had no disciplinary issues during that time and was well-regarded by court commissioners, attorneys, and courthouse staff.

At the center of her eventual termination was an Amazon Echo Show device that sat on her desk and displayed photographs of her children. According to numerous courthouse employees and attorneys, the device was openly visible for years. Court commissioners, prosecutors, defense attorneys, courthouse staff, and members of the public regularly passed through the courtroom and observed the device without complaint.

Records indicate the matter came to the attention of management after judicial assistant Brittney Stamborski reported concerns regarding the device.

Stamborski’s own personnel records show that before transferring to the courthouse, she received a five-shift unpaid suspension while working as an Admissions/Release Supervisor at the Kenosha County Jail. The discipline stemmed from supervisory failures involving inmate-release paperwork and a missing credit-card receipt. County investigators concluded that she failed to properly supervise the process and failed to promptly report the issue through the chain of command.

Records show Stamborski received the discipline in early 2025 and transferred to the courthouse as a judicial assistant only a few months later, officially beginning her courthouse assignment on June 15, 2025.

According to courthouse insiders, it quickly became apparent that the employee’s job was in jeopardy after the complaint was made. Several sources told Kenosha County Eye they believed the Echo Show became a convenient justification to remove an employee whom Kerkman no longer wanted working within the court system.

Some courthouse insiders further alleged that Kerkman enlisted the assistance of his former wife, Kenosha County Executive Samantha Kerkman, and county human resources officials in efforts that ultimately resulted in the employee’s termination. Kenosha County Eye has not independently verified those allegations.

The employee was placed on paid administrative leave on March 27, 2026, and her employment was terminated on April 14, 2026. County records show the termination was based on allegations that the Echo Show created a security risk and violated county policies.

The matter was also referred to the Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office for investigation.

That investigation found no evidence that private communications had been intercepted and no evidence that sensitive information had been transmitted or recorded by the device. Investigators ultimately found no evidence supporting criminal charges.

Following her termination, the employee applied for unemployment benefits. Kenosha County opposed those benefits, resulting in a denial that was later appealed.

In a decision issued June 12, 2026, a Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development Appeal Tribunal reversed the denial and ruled in the employee’s favor. The tribunal noted that the Echo Show had been present in Intake Court for years, was visible to supervisors and courthouse personnel, and that the employee had never been warned about possessing the device. The decision also noted that investigators found no evidence private communications had been intercepted and no evidence information had been transmitted or recorded.

The Appeal Tribunal found that the employee was entitled to unemployment benefits, reversing the earlier determination that had denied them.

According to courthouse insiders, the county’s effort to block unemployment benefits only added insult to injury. Those sources said the employee retained attorney Terry Rose and successfully challenged the denial, resulting in a ruling that now requires the county to pay benefits that had previously been withheld.

Court insiders who spoke to Kenosha County Eye said the case has intensified concerns about management within the courthouse and the influence wielded by powerful county officials.

“This wasn’t about an Echo Show,” one courthouse insider told Kenosha County Eye. “Everybody knew it was there.”

Samantha Kerkman refused to respond to several inquiries.