Theodore Edgecomb trial: Group demands new judge to hear case
MILWAUKEE - Community activists are demanding a new judge be assigned to the Theodore Edgecomb trial, set to start next week. Edgecomb's supporters are accusing the judge of being biased in the case.
Edgecomb is accused of shooting and killing a Milwaukee attorney, but his lawyers say it was self-defense. Jury selection is scheduled for Tuesday, Jan. 18.
Edgecomb's supporters feel the judge has crossed a line, and they want him gone.
Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge David Borowski
"We demand that Judge Borowski recuse himself," said Alan Chavoya, Milwaukee Alliance Against Racism and Political Oppression. "We demand a new, impartial judge."
Community organizers accuse Milwaukee County Judge David Borowski of bias and bullying behavior toward defense attorneys representing Edgecomb, who is accused of shooting and killing Milwaukee County Attorney Jason Cleereman.
Edgecomb's attorneys argue the 31-year-old acted in self-defense when Cleereman confronted him on his bike in September 2020.
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This week, prosecutors amended the charge from first-degree reckless homicide to first-degree intentional homicide. Edgecomb once again pleaded not guilty. His defense team argues this was a tactical move by the prosecution before trial.
"We understand that he allowed the prosecution to up the charges," said Elizabeth Brown, Justice Wisconsin.
Organizers say Borowski should have stopped the prosecution from raising the charge. They also take issue with him allowing use of the word "victim" when describing Cleereman. The defense says this is prejudicial, recalling a ruling in the Kyle Rittenhouse trial in Kenosha County that prohibited such use.
Theodore Edgecomb
"The authority he feels he has, that the defense can’t even finish a sentence without cutting them off," said Brown.
Borowski also limited what a former police detective can testify to in the trial, if at all, after a heated exchange with defense attorneys.
FOX6 News reached out to Judge Borowski’s office for comment. He said he has "no comment" because this is a pending case.
Edgecomb's supporters told reporters they plan to have a demonstration on Sunday, Jan. 16 in the form of a car caravan. They added they are exploring other options to get the judge removed prior to the start of the trial.
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