In the April 2022, election, current Lincoln County District Attorney Galen Bayne-Allison ran in an uncontested race for the position of Lincoln County Circuit Court Judge for Branch I, to fill the vacancy that will be created when current Judge Jay Tlusty retires the end of July, 2022.
Bayne-Allison will be sworn in as the new Lincoln County Circuit Court Judge for Branch I on Aug. 1, 2022, according to Thomas Barker, Lincoln County Clerk of Court, creating a vacancy in the Lincoln County District Attorney’s office.
On July 8, 2022, Gov. Tony Evers announced his appointment of Kristopher Ellis to serve as Lincoln County District Attorney to serve for the remainder of the unexpired term that ends January 2025.
“Kristopher Ellis has demonstrated he has the knowledge, temperament, and ability to help reduce crime and make our communities safer,” said Gov. Evers. “He is committed to working to ensure Lincoln County is a great place to live, work, and raise a family, which will make him an excellent district attorney.”
Ellis has been an Assistant District Attorney in Lincoln County since June. For nearly four years prior, he served as an Assistant State Public Defender in Merrill, representing clients in both Price and Lincoln Counties. In addition to representing criminal defendants, he also took on juvenile, revocation, and termination of parental rights cases, as well as involuntary mental health commitments. During this time, he was part of a team working to start an OWI treatment court in Lincoln County. Before public service, he was a sole practitioner focusing on criminal litigation at the circuit court and appellate court levels.
A graduate of the University of Wisconsin–Madison and the University of Akron School of Law, Ellis lives in Merrill with his family.
“It is truly an honor to be selected by Governor Evers to serve the people of Wisconsin as the Lincoln County District Attorney,” said Ellis. “I look forward to continuing my work with the excellent staff at the District Attorney’s office. Galen Bayne-Allison was able to create a great relationship between the District Attorney’s office and local law enforcement; I plan to continue with that practice to work together in the interest of justice. I sincerely appreciate Governor Evers giving me the opportunity to serve the people of Wisconsin as the Lincoln County District Attorney.”