A high-voltage (HV) compound switch can include coupling circuitry to help provide better slew rate (dV/dt) control, such as to limit electromagnetic energy radiation during switching, which can cause undesirable EMI. Further, efficiency and on-state resistance can be improved by controllably forward-biasing the “normally on” JFET when the compound switch is in an “on” state. In such an on-state, the JFET temperature can be monitored, such as by monitoring the gate-source junction voltage or the gate current of the JFET. Such temperature information can be used for control or other purposes.