Fond du Lac County attorney Tony Nehls says he’s looking forward to being a judge. Governor Tony Evers has appointed Nehls to fill the vacancy when judge Dale English retires in December. Nehls says after practicing law for 16 years in Fond du Lac County he is prepared to be judge. “I’ve done probate, I’ve done small claims, juvenile matters, CHIPS matters, criminal matters. I mean about 90 percent of what you see in court on a daily basis I’ve done,” Nehls told WFDL news. Nehls says as a judge he looks forward to having a greater role in how cases are disposed of. “…over 16 years of having parents come in and talk to me about their children who are suffering from drug addiction and mental health issues. It was something that I thought I could try to at least address from the bench that I couldn’t do as an attorney.” Nehls will complete a term that ends July 31, 2024, and even though he’s been appointed to an elected position, he says he doesn’t think of himself as a politician. “No. I never really thought of myself as a politician and I knew that’s what came with the territory,” Nehls said. “It’s something I really need to think about and focus on.” Nehls lives in Ripon and has operated his own law office in Mount Calvary. Before that he worked for a year as a public defender. Prior to his legal career, Nehls served in the U.S. Army for 12 years.
