Judge Esther Salas Calls for Greater Judicial Protections After Killing of Retired Wisconsin Judge in His Home

Inside Edition
Inside Edition

Retired Juneau County Judge John Roemer was shot dead by a man Roemer once sentenced to 10 years in prison, according to police. That man was hospitalized with a self-inflicted gunshot wound, officials said.

A retired judge was found executed in his own Wisconsin home allegedly by a man he once sentenced to prison, who also had a list of other possible targets he planned to go after, officials said. 

Retired Juneau County Judge John Roemer, 68, was found zip-tied to a chair in his basement and fatally shot on Friday, police said. Douglas Uhde, 56, who Roemer sentenced to 10 years in prison for armed robbery, was discovered to be seriously injured from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, authorities said.  

He was transported to a local hospital in critical condition. 

Uhde was found to have a hit list that included Wisconsin Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and U.S. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.  

Judge Esther Salas knows what it’s like to be targeted. Her 20-year-old son, Daniel, was murdered inside their New Jersey home by a lawyer who was angry with Salas.  

“My son was not going to let that man step a foot into our foyer and Daniel took a hit, head-on in his chest,” she said.  

Now Salas is on a crusade to see legislation passed that would scrub the personal information of judges off the internet. The bill, named after her son Daniel, is being held up by Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, who wants it expanded to include increased protections for members of congress. Paul was seriously injured when he was attacked at his home in 2017 by an irate neighbor. 

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