J. B. Van Hollen
Encyclopedia
John Byron "J.B." Van Hollen (born February 19, 1966) is the Attorney General
of the State of Wisconsin. A Republican, he was elected to the office in November 2006 and took office on January 3, 2007, succeeding Democrat Peg Lautenschlager
.
, a realtor and former member of the Wisconsin State Assembly
. The Van Hollen family lived near Chetek, Wisconsin
and later moved to Delta, Wisconsin
. He graduated from St. Olaf College
in 1988 with an undergraduate degree in political science and economics. He earned his law degree two years later from the University of Wisconsin Law School
.
In 1993, Governor Tommy Thompson
appointed Van Hollen District Attorney
in Ashland County, where he served for six years. He was subsequently called to service again when Governor Thompson appointed him to serve as Bayfield County District Attorney. He was appointed as the U.S. Attorney for Wisconsin's Western District where he served in that role from 2002 to 2005.
Van Hollen won the Republican nomination for Attorney General in 2006 over then-Waukesha County District Attorney Paul Bucher. In the general election, he narrowly defeated Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk
, who had previously bested Lautenschlager in the Democratic primary. Van Hollen was the only Republican in Wisconsin to win a statewide race in 2006. In 2010, he defeated his Democratic opponent by a comfortable margin.
In April 2010, Van Hollen reached that goal and eliminated the backlog of DNA evidence at the Crime Lab. He secured funding from the federal government to investigate cold case crimes. One of the cold cases led to the arrest of Walter Ellis, a suspected serial killer in Milwaukee.
In September 2008, Van Hollen sued the Wisconsin state elections agency to force the Government Accountability Board to check voter registrations for accuracy. Van Hollen said that the motivation for the lawsuit was that potentially illegal votes could sway the election. On October 23, 2008, a Dane County circuit judge dismissed the lawsuit, ruling that Van Hollen did not have standing to bring the lawsuit, because only the U.S. attorney general can enforce federal law. Van Hollen appealed the judge's ruling but later dropped it when the Government Accountability Board updated their voter check procedure.
Attorney General
In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general, or attorney-general, is the main legal advisor to the government, and in some jurisdictions he or she may also have executive responsibility for law enforcement or responsibility for public prosecutions.The term is used to refer to any person...
of the State of Wisconsin. A Republican, he was elected to the office in November 2006 and took office on January 3, 2007, succeeding Democrat Peg Lautenschlager
Peg Lautenschlager
Peggy A. "Peg" Lautenschlager was Attorney General of the State of Wisconsin from January 3, 2003 to January 3, 2007. She succeeded fellow Democrat James Doyle when Doyle was elected Governor of Wisconsin in 2002...
.
Background
His father is John C. Van HollenJohn C. Van Hollen (Wisconsin politician)
John C. Van Hollen is a Wisconsin businessman and politician.Born in Rhinelander, Wisconsin, he grew up in Chetek, Wisconsin. He served in the United States military during the Korean War and graduated from University of Wisconsin....
, a realtor and former member of the Wisconsin State Assembly
Wisconsin State Assembly
The Wisconsin State Assembly is the lower house of the Wisconsin Legislature. Together with the smaller Wisconsin Senate, the two constitute the legislative branch of the U.S. state of Wisconsin....
. The Van Hollen family lived near Chetek, Wisconsin
Chetek, Wisconsin
Chetek is a city in Barron County in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The population was 2,180 at the 2000 census. The city is located partially within the Town of Chetek. There are six major lakes in Chetek; Lake Pokegama, Lake Ojaski/Mud Lake, Prairie Lake, Ten Mile Lake, Lake Chetek, and Moose ear...
and later moved to Delta, Wisconsin
Delta, Wisconsin
Delta is a town in Bayfield County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 235 at the 2000 census. The unincorporated communities of Delta and Pike River are located in the town...
. He graduated from St. Olaf College
St. Olaf College
St. Olaf College is a coeducational, residential, four-year, private liberal arts college in Northfield, Minnesota, United States. It was founded in 1874 by a group of Norwegian-American immigrant pastors and farmers, led by Pastor Bernt Julius Muus. The college is named after Olaf II of Norway,...
in 1988 with an undergraduate degree in political science and economics. He earned his law degree two years later from the University of Wisconsin Law School
University of Wisconsin Law School
The University of Wisconsin Law School is the professional school for the study of law at the University of Wisconsin–Madison in Madison, Wisconsin. The law school was founded in 1868.-Facilities:...
.
In 1993, Governor Tommy Thompson
Tommy Thompson
Thomas George "Tommy" Thompson , a United States Republican politician, was the 42nd Governor of Wisconsin, after which he served as U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services. Thompson was a candidate for the 2008 U.S. Presidential Election, but dropped out early after a poor performance in polls...
appointed Van Hollen District Attorney
District attorney
In many jurisdictions in the United States, a District Attorney is an elected or appointed government official who represents the government in the prosecution of criminal offenses. The district attorney is the highest officeholder in the jurisdiction's legal department and supervises a staff of...
in Ashland County, where he served for six years. He was subsequently called to service again when Governor Thompson appointed him to serve as Bayfield County District Attorney. He was appointed as the U.S. Attorney for Wisconsin's Western District where he served in that role from 2002 to 2005.
Van Hollen won the Republican nomination for Attorney General in 2006 over then-Waukesha County District Attorney Paul Bucher. In the general election, he narrowly defeated Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk
Kathleen Falk
Kathleen Falk is an American politician who was the County Executive of Dane County, Wisconsin, serving from 1997 until 2011. In 2006, she was the Democratic Party nominee for the office of Attorney General of Wisconsin. She was an Assistant Attorney General and Public Intervenor in the Wisconsin...
, who had previously bested Lautenschlager in the Democratic primary. Van Hollen was the only Republican in Wisconsin to win a statewide race in 2006. In 2010, he defeated his Democratic opponent by a comfortable margin.
Attorney general
Upon taking office in 2007, Van Hollen took on a backlog of DNA evidence at the Wisconsin State Crime Laboratory. The backlog had grown to thousands of cases. He worked with the Wisconsin Legislature to secure additional resources to solve the backlog and created new efficiencies at the Crime Lab. In 2008, Van Hollen announced changes made by his administration have reduced the backlog by 43% since he took office. His goal was to eliminate the backlog by December 2010.In April 2010, Van Hollen reached that goal and eliminated the backlog of DNA evidence at the Crime Lab. He secured funding from the federal government to investigate cold case crimes. One of the cold cases led to the arrest of Walter Ellis, a suspected serial killer in Milwaukee.
In September 2008, Van Hollen sued the Wisconsin state elections agency to force the Government Accountability Board to check voter registrations for accuracy. Van Hollen said that the motivation for the lawsuit was that potentially illegal votes could sway the election. On October 23, 2008, a Dane County circuit judge dismissed the lawsuit, ruling that Van Hollen did not have standing to bring the lawsuit, because only the U.S. attorney general can enforce federal law. Van Hollen appealed the judge's ruling but later dropped it when the Government Accountability Board updated their voter check procedure.