Evers names young reformer to Milwaukee County Circuit Court

A young lawyer with experience helping poor Wisconsin residents navigate the legal system has been named a judge in Milwaukee County.

Kori Ashley, a staff attorney with Legal Action Wisconsin, was appointed to the Circuit Court bench by Gov. Tony Evers to fill the term of retiring Judge Dennis Cimpl, starting Sept. 11, and will face election in 2021.

“Kori Ashley will be a dynamic judge who pushes for real change,” Evers said in a statement. “We know that the criminal justice system is broken, and that it has an overwhelming disproportionate impact on people of color. As an attorney, Ashley has worked tirelessly to correct this. Now she’ll do so on the bench.”

At Legal Actions since 2016, Ashley, 33, has focused her work in the area of victims' rights and with helping people expunge old criminal records and tickets that hinder employment and housing opportunities.

Ashley is a graduate of Divine Savior Holy Angels High School, DePaul University and the University of Wisconsin Law School. She joined the state bar in 2012, and worked in criminal defense at Alex Flynn & Associates for three years before joining Legal Action.

In a 2018 interview with Wisconsin Lawyer magazine, Ashley said she was strongly influenced by her uncle, veteran Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Carl Ashley, to pursue a legal career. She said she was too busy to speak with a reporter Monday.

In an email, she said she was grateful for the opportunity to serve the community.

Contact Bruce Vielmetti at (414) 224-2187 or bvielmetti@jrn.com. Follow him on Twitter at @ProofHearsay.