APPLETON, Wis. (WBAY) – Outagamie County Judge Mark McGinnis, who’s been the focus of a criminal investigation by the Wisconsin Department of Justice, announced his intention to resign effective February 1, 2026, in a letter to Governor Evers.
In documents obtained by Action 2 News’ Jason Zimmerman, Judge Mark McGinnis submitted his resignation letter on Wednesday, August 27.
McGinnis is resigning ahead of the end of his term, which expires in July 2029.
The probe came after the judge ordered a Hortonville contractor to spend time in jail over a financial dispute unrelated to his initial case.
As we first reported back in January 2024, contractor Tyler Barth was ordered to spend 90 days in jail unless he repaid a deposit on a contracting job he started but delayed due to weather conditions.
According to sources, it was the judge’s courthouse employee who contracted him.
Barth denied stealing and asked for at least 24 hours to collect the money.
Judge McGinnis denied that request. After Barth’s defense attorney asked Judge McGinnis about the legal justification for his jail time, the judge took back the three-month sentence.
With the February 1 resignation, it’s unclear whether McGinnis will face any criminal charges moving forward.
On Friday, Action 2 News received this statement from Special prosecutor, La Crosse County District Attorney Tim Gruenke:
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