Eagle River, Wis., – Vilas County Circuit Court nominee Meg O’Marro supported the creation of a drug treatment court to work in concert with resources from probation, prison, community addiction and mental health to alleviate the county’s growing addiction and overdose crisis during a March 26 eagle
Wisconsin Leaders River Conference.

Jay Wentworth of Empowered Affiliates Recovery, which guides people through recovery resources, hosted the “Like Minds Addiction in Our Community” conference at Abundant Life Church. He brought together community members, leaders and addiction specialists to seek solutions. Wentworth also worked in recovery efforts at Vilas Prison.

Presenters included Empowered Affiliates Recovery, Jail Administrator Bill Weiss, Vilas Sheriff’s Department Program Director Heather Gehrig, Roberta Marcus of the Tri-County Human Service Center, Native American Spiritual Mentor Richard McCoy, Counselor of the Koinonia treatment center Michele Sarkaukas, Shared Hope International’s (which caters to child and youth sex trafficking) Butch and Jean Fitzpatrick, as well as medical and police emergency response teams.

O’Marro, who is running as a branch 2 judge, was not a presenter but attended the conference due to her concern and lifelong work to protect children, adults and families vulnerable.

Jail Administrator Weiss revealed that the Vilas County Jail successfully reduced re-arrests, reconvictions and re-incarcerations by 72% through its in-jail recovery program. When asked why he works so hard to fight recidivism, Weiss replied, “Because it’s the right thing to do.”

Applauding the achievement, O’Marro, a recent Vilas County assistant attorney, said she sees how mental health and addictions collide in the justice system, and urged leaders to seek solutions to the emerging problem of people who become addicted to withdrawal drugs, but have no resources to wean them off. “We have to go beyond sobriety and attack post-recovery issues,” O’Marro said. “We need to help these people break free from their addiction so they can start leading productive lives. A drug court is a welfare court, where groups of highly supportive professionals come together to promote recovery from addiction. We can do this by welcoming medical experts and suppliers to the table. This will promote community safety and growth. There are different times in drug treatment court: a time to be strict, a time to love, a time to encourage continued good behavior, and a time to discipline. »

Glad to see how many people are coming together to end the cycle of violence, O’Marro said, a drug court will help end the cycle of violence and give offenders the support they need. “Most people who use drugs have suffered significant trauma in their lives. What I have seen in my legal career is that offenders are put on probation and ordered to follow the rules. but do not receive the resources they need to stay sober. So there is a repeated cycle of abuse and criminal conduct. The drug treatment court has proven to be effective in stopping this cycle.

O’Marro’s groundbreaking work in these and other areas won him the support of retired Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice David Prosser.

The court races are nonpartisan, and people of all political persuasions, including former district attorney and Vilas County Democrat Steve Lucareli and Vilas County Republican Party Chairwoman Carol Cady, are among the many people who support Meg O’Marro for the position of judge.

Branch 2 Tour includes Arbor Vitae, Boulder Junction, Cloverland, Conover, Eagle River, Lac du Flambeau, Land O’ Lakes, Lincoln, Manitowish Waters, Phelps, Plum Lake, Près Isle, St. Germain, Washington and Townships of Winchester. O’Marro lives in Eagle River and has represented Vilas County in civil matters impacting the welfare of citizens, the preservation of natural resources, and the function of government agencies.

O’Marro lives in Eagle River and his connection to Vilas County spans 50 years.

About Meg O’Marro
Deputy Councilor of the Vilas County Corporation from 2017 to April 2021, O’Marro represented Vilas County in civil matters impacting the welfare of citizens, the preservation of natural resources, and the function of government agencies. . She has also served children in need of protection or services, adults at risk, mental health commitments, child support, paternity and truancy. Meg’s work serves people of all ages, races and backgrounds.

Meg O’Marro has handled 969 cases in Vilas County in just three years and eight months as Vilas County Deputy Advisor, unlike her opponent Daniel Overbey only handled 56 cases in Vilas County over the course of of the 18 years he lived and worked here. This information was recorded in public court records provided by Vilas County Clerk Beth Soltow.

Meg has worked with Native American families under the Indian Child Wellfare Act, protecting their cultures, traditions and families.

A proud mother of five, Meg O’Marro’s community involvement included serving as a member of the Vilas County Drug-Endangered Children Task Force, School Truancy Task Force and the child death review team. Licensed by the State Bar of Wisconsin and a member in good standing since 1992. O’Marro’s practice areas include civil, administrative, municipal, public, children, elder and disabled, family , criminal law, probation and parole, minors and the right of appeal. . She has served in the public sector as a prosecutor and in the private sector as a defense attorney skilled in court process and evidence law.

In addition to her work for Vilas and Milwaukee counties, O’Marro served as an attorney at Sterling Law Offices from 2015 to 2017, obtaining a not guilty verdict in a criminal trial, a dismissal in a felony case and the new license from wrongfully adoptive parent. accused of misconduct. She has represented family law litigants and presented family law seminars.

Meg owned and operated O’Marro Law Offices, LLC from 2004 to 2015, providing legal representation to individuals in civil, child, juvenile, elder and disability, family, criminal, probation and parole and criminal matters. call. She served as an ad litem guardian for at-risk children and adults.

From 1992 to 2004, Meg was a family law, criminal, probation and parole and appellate lawyer for Felli Law and from 1992 to 1994, an associate lawyer in these areas and real estate law for Nelson Law. O’Marro began his legal career at the Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas, Dayton, Ohio, serving as a law clerk to the Honorable John M. Meagher and the Administrator of the Court.

Meg received her Juris Doctor Law degree in 1992 from the University of Dayton School of Law, where she was selected to serve on the regional advocacy team and won the Dean’s Award for her work entitled Law and the Mentally Disabled.

A graduate of the University of Wisconsin at Madison, Meg received her Bachelor of Arts in 1988, majoring in political science.

For more information on Meg O’Marro’s campaign appeal (715-617-3482)