FOX CROSSING - The state Supreme Court has forbid former Fox Crossing municipal judge Len Kachinsky from serving on the bench for at least three years.

The court, in a ruling filed Tuesday, found Kachinsky's misconduct related to his treatment of his court manager warranted a three-year suspension from serving as a reserve municipal judge.

But before Kachinsky will be allowed to again serve as a reserve municipal judge, he must petition the court "to establish his fitness to serve in that capacity," the court's ruling says.

Kachinsky gained notoriety after he was featured in the Netflix docuseries "Making a Murderer." He served as an attorney for Brendan Dassey before he was removed from the case.

In December, a Winnebago County jury found Kachinsky not guilty of a stalking charge related to his treatment of his court manager. He still faces three counts of violating a restraining order for behavior also related to his court manager.

Kachinsky had served as a municipal judge for 21 years, first for the town of Menasha, then for the village of Fox Crossing. His most recent term expired April 30.

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The court's ruling describes in great detail how Kachinsky's relationship with his court manager began to deteriorate starting in March 2017, about a year after Kachinsky hired her.

First, Kachinsky made a public comment on her Facebook page indicating she was "on her second honeymoon" at "an undisclosed location," which the court manager then told Kachinsky was incorrect, the court's ruling says. He apologized.

Then, Kachinsky and a friend arrived at the municipal court office while his court manager was out, at which point Kachinsky hid behind a counter. When the court manager returned, he popped up and shouted "roar," startling her.

"During this visit, Judge Kachinsky was sufficiently loud and boisterous that his conduct disturbed nearby village employees," the court's ruling says.

Kachinsky then sent the court manager an email to tell her he hoped his visit had "made her day," the court's ruling says, and it was something he was "more than happy to do for my best friends."

Kachinsky's court manager became more concerned after he mentioned in an email that he knew her mother had visited her home recently because he had seen her mother's location on the Facebook app on his phone. As a result, the court manager lodged a complaint with the village's human resource manager.

On May 4, 2017, Kachinsky and his court manager met with the human resources manager as a result of the court manager's complaint. As a result of the meeting, Kachinsky and his court manager agreed not to share personal information about each other on social media, limit communication to work-related matters and limit Kachinsky's office visits to once a week.

"Judge Kachinsky, however, ignored the guidelines that had been developed," the court's ruling says. "Indeed, his subsequent conduct indicated that he was upset as a result of the meeting and was determined to express his displeasure."

Kachinsky came to the municipal court offices the following week, sat close to his court manager's desk, faced her and "did nothing but tap his pen and make 'cat noises,' which continued for about 45 minutes, the court's ruling says.

Kachinsky kept contacting his court manager after that, and eventually contacted the village's human resources manager and threatened to fire his court manager if she didn't "give a little bit on the work-only thing," the court's ruling says. The village's attorney then sent a letter to Kachinsky informing him that his threats, if carried out, could violate the law.

Still, Kachinsky didn't stop. The court's ruling details an incident on July 17, 2017, when Kachinsky and his court manager were alone in the office. Kachinsky lunged over her desk, knocking off some items, then whispering, "Are you afraid of me now?"

For months, Kachinsky continued to contact his court manager with issues not related to their work, which led the court manager to seek a restraining order.

Kachinsky was obligated to maintain high standards of personal conduct, but failed to do so, the court's ruling says.

"We fail to see how staring at a court employee for 45 minutes while tapping a pencil and making cat noises constitutes the maintenance of high standards of personal conduct or promotes the integrity of the judiciary," the court's ruling says. "Indeed, it does just the opposite."

Kachinsky's "pattern of obsessive conduct" about his relationship with his court manager "clearly passed well over the line and brought the municipal court he administered into public disrepute," the court's order says.

The court also commented on Kachinsky's acquittal at trial, saying "the lack of a criminal conviction on that single charge does not mean he is innocent of any ethical violations."

Kachinsky's three-year suspension is retroactive to the court's ruling on July 3, 2018, that barred him from serving as municipal judge.

Contact Chris Mueller at 920-996-7267 or cmueller@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @AtChrisMueller.