Retired Judge John Roemer was gunned down in his own home earlier this month. | Pixabay
Retired Judge John Roemer was gunned down in his own home earlier this month. | Pixabay
Juneau County Board Chairman Tim Cottingham sighs the community is still reeling from the killing of a retired judge by a gunman allegedly aiming for him and others in the judicial system.
“The community, I think, is mainly a little bit in shock,” Cottingham told NBC15.com. “The disbelief that something like this could happen here, but also to Judge Roemer.”
Retired Judge John Roemer was gunned down in his own home earlier this month.
Cottingham’s history with Roemer goes back to the days when the two worked in local law enforcement with the Sheriff’s Department and also as a courtroom bailiff. In addition, for decades he also witnessed Roemer serve as an assistant state public defender, Assistant District Attorney and Circuit Court Judge.
“When he became judge, it was kind of an icing on the cake,” Cottingham added. “He had a long, great career. He had a great legal mind, and he was friends with all the officers. You could talk to him. It was personal. It wasn’t just professional.”
Cottingham isn’t alone in expressing shock and sadness over the loss of the longtime judge.
“The state’s judicial family is shocked and saddened by this tragedy,” Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Annette Kingsland Ziegler added. “Judge Roemer dedicated much of his career to public service in the law. He was known by colleagues for his sharp legal mind and his willingness to share his time and knowledge with others. His work made a tremendous difference in the lives of many people in Juneau County and elsewhere in the state.”
Friends of Juneau County President Jamie Milheiser is among those helping to organize a candlelight vigil for Roemer scheduled for June 11, by the Juneau County Justice Center.
“When I was a kid I got into a little trouble,” Milheiser recalled. “Roemer showed me compassion, understanding and a fairness I hadn’t experienced much in my life. The fact that this happened to such a remarkable man, saddens me beyond belief.”
The vigil is scheduled to start at 9 p.m., and organizers plan to walk around the block with candles from the main road to the Justice Center.
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