U.S. Supreme Court Rejects Gov. Evers’ State Legislative Maps

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 […]

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Wisconsin Supreme Court Adopts Gov. Evers’ Redistricting Plan

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 […]

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Wisconsin High Court Adopts “Least Change” Approach to Redistricting

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 […]

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Governor Evers Vetoes Redistricting Bills, Setting Up Court Battles

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 […]

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Wisconsin Supreme Court Holding Oral Arguments September Through December

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 […]

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State Supreme Court Appoints New Chief Appellate Judge

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. […]

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Graef v. Continental Indemnity Company (Worker’s Compensation Exclusive Remedy)

In Graef v. Continental Indemnity Company (2018AP1782), the Wisconsin Supreme Court held that an employee’s negligence claim was barred by the exclusive-remedy provision of the Wisconsin Worker’s Compensation Act. Facts Graef was gored by a bull while working in the livestock yard at Equity Livestock. Because of physical injuries and depression resulting from the incident, […]

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Kemper Independence Insurance Company v. Islami (Insurance Denial for Concealment or Fraud)

In Kemper Independence Insurance Company v. Islami (2019AP488), the Wisconsin Supreme Court upheld an insurer’s denial of coverage based on the actions of a claimant’s estranged spouse. Facts In 2014, Ydbi Islami set fire to the home occupied by his estranged wife, Ismet Islami. The two had been legally separated since 1998; Ismet received sole […]

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State Supreme Court Chooses New Chief Justice

On April 14, a majority of the seven members of the Wisconsin Supreme Court voted to select Justice Annette Ziegler as the state’s next chief justice. She will assume the office on May 1. Justice Ziegler was first elected to the court in 2007 and ran unopposed in 2017. She is the court’s third longest-serving […]

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Mohns v. BMO Harris Bank (Discovery Violations)

In Mohns v. BMO Harris Bank (2018AP71), the Wisconsin Supreme Court held that the circuit court was within its discretion to impose judgement on liability, including for intentional misrepresentation, as a sanction for discovery violations. Facts Mohns, Inc. was the general contractor for a condominium construction venture developed by Paul Bouraxis and financed by BMO […]

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