Political and journalistic pundits labeled her reprimand from fellow justices as a slap on the wrist. It was just that. Because her transgressions while a Washington County judge were procedural in nature, because her conflicts were in very small cases that benefited her and her family not a whit, nothing more than a reprimand was justified.

Unlike the pundits, the justices must have taken note that the charges trumped up against Ziegler were fully aired before her election. The voters had full knowledge of the pros and cons of her opponent’s allegations before they entered the voting booth.

Then they voted her onto the high court by a large margin. The citizens are not as dumb as the experts think they are. Indeed, they are pretty experienced at cutting through on what’s real and what’s important when mud is slung.

The justices may have also factored in the support for Ziegler before and after the election from the other three judges in our county, the people who knew her performance on the bench the best.

Further, Ziegler admitted her procedural mistakes and paid the fine. She didn’t duck her responsibility for running a courtroom that eliminates or declares all conflicts.

One result of the case is that Just ice Ziegler has taken the management of conflicts to a new level. She is routinely notifying parties in cases of any donations from interests that might have a stake in a pending court decision.

Not all the other justices have followed suit.

They should, but, if they do, new problems will arise. If multiple justices are taken off certain cases, there may not be enough left to make a conclusive decision.

Some reformers believe public financing of Supreme Court campaigns is the answer. It would solve part of the problem of conflicts of interest, but wouldn’t touch the millions of dollars put indirectly into contests trough what are called issue ads. The First Amendment protects that form of speech.

There are no complete answers on judicial conflicts.

You can bet the special interests will be lobbing millions more into next spring’s election when Chief Justice Shirley Abrahamson, a liberal jurist, runs for another 10-year term. She is already in a heavy fundraising mode, though no conservative opponent has yet surfaced.

Voters should get their filters prepared for another round of mud slinging.

* * *

I want to thank the dozens of donors who wrote checks to Make-A-Wish Foundation of Wisconsin for my Race Across America as a member of Team Badger Bikers.

Eight older riders will do half-hour sprints in rotation until we make it from Oceanside, Calif. to Annapolis, Md. We hope to make it in seven to eight days (and nights - nonstop).

Above the expenses, covered by the team, we should be raising about $25,000 for kids who get a wish fulfilled.

It’s a privilege to be able to do this adventure. So, again, thanks.

You can keep track of our odyssey on our Web site - teambadgerbiker.ning.com

(John Torinus is chairman of the board of Serigraph, Inc. in West Bend and a past editor of the Daily News.)