Two state judges have announced campaigns for the Wisconsin Supreme Court next year for the seat currently occupied by Justice Patience Roggensack, who plans to retire. The race will appear on the nonpartisan spring ballot in April 2023. Justices in Wisconsin serve staggered 10-year terms. On May 25, Milwaukee County Judge Janet Protasiewicz announced her […]
State Supreme Court Rules Against WMC in Business COVID Records Case
Date Fri, Jun. 17, 2022 - 1:03am By Hamilton
Last week, the Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled in favor of the state in a case involving the release of a list of businesses with multiple COVID-19 cases among employees. The case originated during the early months of the pandemic during a time of much greater uncertainty surrounding the disease, and before the Wisconsin Legislature enacted […]
Judge Rules Legislative Oversight of DOJ Settlements is Unconstitutional
Date Thu, May. 26, 2022 - 6:22pm By Hamilton
A relatively new law, requiring the Wisconsin Department of Justice (DOJ) to seek legislative approval to settle or discontinue a civil action, is facing a legal challenge brought by Attorney General (AG) Josh Kaul. Enacted in December 2018 during a “lame-duck” extraordinary session, 2017 Wisconsin Act 369 granted the review power to the Legislature’s budget-writing […]
Wisconsin Supreme Court Reverses Earlier Redistricting Decision, Selects Republican Legislative Maps
Date Tue, Apr. 19, 2022 - 9:17am By Hamilton
The Wisconsin Supreme Court has adopted state legislative maps proposed by Republican legislative leaders, a reversal of the court’s earlier decision adopting maps proposed by Gov. Tony Evers (D). On April 15, the state’s high court issued what is likely to be its final ruling related to the current cycle of redistricting in Wisconsin. The […]
U.S. Supreme Court Rejects Gov. Evers’ State Legislative Maps
Date Thu, Mar. 31, 2022 - 8:21pm By Hamilton
The United States Supreme Court ordered the Wisconsin Supreme Court to reconsider its decision adopting state legislative maps proposed by Gov. Tony Evers. This is the latest decision in an ongoing series of lawsuits regarding redistricting in Wisconsin. The U.S. Supreme Court issued its order on March 23. The unsigned opinion was adopted on a […]
Wisconsin Supreme Court Adopts Gov. Evers’ Redistricting Plan
Date Thu, Mar. 10, 2022 - 10:50pm By Hamilton
The Wisconsin Supreme Court has adopted a redistricting plan proposed by Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers (D), a notable legal and political victory for Democrats. The court filed its decision on March 3. Justice Brian Hagedorn, a judicial conservative, wrote the opinion for a 4-3 majority including himself and the court’s three liberal justices. The majority […]
Wisconsin High Court Adopts “Least Change” Approach to Redistricting
Date Tue, Dec. 21, 2021 - 1:02pm By Hamilton
On November 30, the Supreme Court of Wisconsin issued its first major ruling related to this cycle of redistricting in Wisconsin. The Republican-led Legislature passed its proposed congressional and state legislative maps along party lines in early November. Governor Tony Evers (D) vetoed those maps in mid-November and has called for the state to adopt […]
Governor Evers Vetoes Redistricting Bills, Setting Up Court Battles
Date Fri, Nov. 19, 2021 - 8:52am By Hamilton
On November 18, Governor Tony Evers (D) vetoed Senate Bills (SB) 621 and 622, meaning that Wisconsin’s political maps for the next ten years will likely be set by the Wisconsin Supreme Court or a panel of federal judges. The governor announced the action in a press release and sent a veto message to the […]
Wisconsin Supreme Court Holding Oral Arguments September Through December
Date Thu, Nov. 4, 2021 - 6:43pm By Hamilton
The Wisconsin Supreme Court has announced its schedule for oral arguments for the remainder of 2021. Earlier this year, the court heard cases in January through April and one case in May, then took a break over the summer and began hearing cases again in September. Below is a summary of the court’s schedule for […]
State Supreme Court Appoints New Chief Appellate Judge
Date Wed, Jul. 28, 2021 - 7:22pm By Hamilton
The Wisconsin Supreme Court has announced the appointment of a new chief appellate judge and the reappointment of five chief circuit court judges, effective August 1. Judge William W. Brash, III has been appointed chief judge of the Wisconsin Court of Appeals, a position that oversees the entire four-district, 16-judge appellate court system in Wisconsin. […]