Thomas H. Barland

Last updated
The Honorable
Thomas H. Barland
Wisconsin Circuit Court Judgefor the Eau Claire Circuit, Branch 1
In office
August 1, 1978 –July 31, 2000
Education
Professionlawyer, judge
Military service
AllegianceFlag of the United States.svg  United States
Branch/serviceFlag of the United States Army.svg  United States Army
Seal of the United States Army Reserve.svg U.S. Army Reserve
Years of service1953–1955 (USA)
1955–1965 (USAR)
Rank US-O3 insignia.svg Captain
Unit USAMPC-Regimental-Insignia.png Military Police

Thomas H. Barland (born March 3, 1930) is a retired American lawyer, politician, and judge. Most recently, he was the last chairman of the Wisconsin Government Accountability Board before its dissolution in 2015. He was a Wisconsin Circuit Court Judge and County Judge for 33 years in Eau Claire County and served six years in the Wisconsin State Assembly as a Republican. [1]

Contents

Early life and career

Although descended from one of the pioneer settlers of Eau Claire, Wisconsin, Barland was born in San Francisco, California, and received his early education on the island of Oahu in what was then the Territory of Hawaii. [2] Barland's father was employed as an engineer for the War Department at the Schofield Barracks. At age 11, Barland witnessed the Attack on Pearl Harbor, racing home after the first wave of the attack and sheltering in his basement with his parents. [3] A few months later, they were evacuated to the United States and relocated to Eau Claire.

He graduated from Eau Claire High School in 1947 and attended the University of Wisconsin–Madison, where he received his bachelor's degree in economics in 1951. He went on to law school at the University of Wisconsin Law School, but interrupted his education in 1953 to enlist in the United States Army. [2]

He served two years as a Military Police Confinement Officer of the Post Stockade and Assistant Post Provost Marshal before transitioning to the United States Army Reserve as a Captain. He returned to law school in 1955 and completed his education in 1956. During his time in law school, he was a member of the editorial board of the Wisconsin Law Review , a member of the Phi Delta Phi legal fraternity and the Order of the Coif legal honor society. [2] He was admitted to the State Bar of Wisconsin in June 1956 and worked briefly as an associate in the Eau Claire law firm Ramsdell, King, & Carroll, before being admitted as a partner in that firm on January 1, 1957, thereafter known as Ramsdell, King, Carroll, & Barland. [2]

Political career

During his early career, Barland became extremely active with Eau Claire civic organizations: He was a major fundraiser for the local chapter of the American Red Cross, becoming chairman of the chapter; he was active with the Junior Chamber of Commerce, receiving a distinguished service award in 1959; he was chairman of the Eau Claire Downtown Modernization Steering Committee, vice president of the local Family Service Association, vice president of the Eau Claire County Taxpayers Association, vice president of the Foreign Film Society, and a member of the Civic Music Association. [4]

Barland declared his candidacy for Wisconsin State Assembly in June 1960, and was unopposed in seeking the Republican nomination. He challenged incumbent Democrat Karl J. Goethel in Eau Claire County's 1st assembly district—composed of most of the city of Eau Claire. [4] In his announcement, Barland pledged to work to improve Wisconsin's industrial climate, streamline government, reform the tax laws, and secure funding for improved facilities for people suffering mental illness. [4] Barland prevailed in the November election, winning by a mere 615 votes. [5] He would go on to win re-election in 1962 and 1964, but did not run for a fourth term in 1966, leaving office in January 1967.

During his years in the Legislature, he was chosen as Republican Caucus Chairman and served on the Assembly committees on the judiciary, state affairs, and taxation; he served on the powerful Joint Finance Committee, and was vice chairman of the Legislative Council Taxation Committee. [6] He also served on the Board on Government Operations, which was charged with managing emergency appropriations, and given oversight power over the state Department of Administration. [6]

Kellett Commission

In 1965, new governor Warren P. Knowles asked the legislature to create a temporary commission to recommend a streamlining of the state's Administrative branch. Barland was appointed to the resulting Temporary Commission on Administrative Branch Reorganization (known as the "Kellett Commission" for its chairman, businessman William Kellett). [6] The commission report, delivered to the Legislature in 1967, proposed a dramatic reorganization of the state government, combining several agencies, boards, and commissions, into 26 departments. The plan was extremely controversial, but, after compromise in the legislature, most of the recommendations were adopted. [7]

Judicial career

In March 1967, Governor Knowles appointed Barland County Judge of Eau Claire County, to replace Judge Connor T. Hansen, who he had earlier appointed to the Wisconsin Supreme Court. [8] Judge Barland was subsequently elected to a full judicial term in 1968 and re-elected without opposition in 1976. [9]

In 1975, he chose to run for the Wisconsin Circuit Court seat being vacated by retiring judge Merrill R. Farr, covering Eau Claire and Trempealeau counties—under the pre-1978 circuit court organization, this was the 23rd circuit. [10] [11] He was ultimately unopposed in the election and assumed office in January 1976. In 1977, however, Wisconsin voters approved a series of referendums enabling the 1978 Court Reorganization Act, which flattened the circuit and county court systems into a single trial court system. On August 1, 1978, Judge Barland transitioned from the 23rd circuit—which ceased to exist—to the new Eau Claire circuit. [12] He went on to be re-elected as circuit court judge in 1981, 1987 and 1993. He retired in 2000 after 33 years on the bench following the death of his first wife, Ann, in 1999. [13] He continued to hear cases as a reserve judge and arbitrator.

In addition to his reserve judge duties, Barland remained active in community groups after his retirement. He served on the executive committee of the Restorative Justice System, was president of TRY Mediations, and served on the boards of the United Way of Greater Eau Claire and the Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Chippewa Valley.

Government Accountability Board

In 2009, Governor Jim Doyle appointed Judge Barland to the Wisconsin Government Accountability Board for a term to expire May 1, 2015. His appointment to the Board was confirmed by the State Senate in 2010. He became chairperson of the board in 2011. [14]

In 2015, Wisconsin Republicans chose to abolish the Government Accountability Board as part of a broader effort to rein in independent oversight institutions within the state. Judge Barland referred to the action as, "a great step backwards," and said the board had been victim of "a political lynching." [15]

Personal life and history

Barland's great-grandfather, Reverend Thomas Barland, was a Scottish American immigrant and the first preacher to conduct a regular Protestant church service at Eau Claire after settling there in 1849. [4] [16]

Judge Barland married his first wife, Ann Marie Johnson, in 1964. Together, they were founding donors to create the Eau Claire Community Foundation. [17] Ann died in 1999. [18] Judge Barland is now married to Jill Broderick and has two adult step-children. Thomas and Jill Barland also maintain a donor fund at the Eau Claire Community Foundation and have been actively involved in the management of the organization. [17]

Barland is the recipient of the "Outstanding Achievement Award" from the Children's Legacy Luncheon.

Electoral history

Wisconsin Assembly (1960, 1962, 1964)

Wisconsin Assembly, Eau Claire 1st District Election, 1960 [5]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
General Election, November 8, 1960
Republican Thomas H. Barland 6,188 52.61% +3.85%
Democratic Karl J. Goethel (incumbent)5,57347.39%
Plurality6155.23%+2.75%
Total votes11,761 100.0% +29.01%
Republican gain from Democratic Swing 7.71%
Wisconsin Assembly, Eau Claire 1st District Election, 1962 [19]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
General Election, November 6, 1962
Republican Thomas H. Barland (incumbent) 5,019 56.82% +4.21%
Democratic Anton J. Miller3,81443.18%
Plurality1,20513.64%+8.41%
Total votes8,833 100.0% -24.90%
Republican hold
Wisconsin Assembly, Eau Claire 1st District Election, 1964 [20]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
General Election, November 6, 1962
Republican Thomas H. Barland (incumbent) 7,066 55.54% -1.28%
Democratic Edward R. Kaiser5,65744.46%
Plurality1,40911.07%-2.57%
Total votes12,723 100.0% +44.04%
Republican hold

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harold Vernon Froehlich</span> Retired American congressman and judge

Harold Vernon Froehlich is a retired American politician and judge. He represented Wisconsin's 8th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives for one term in 1973–1974 as a Republican and broke with his party to vote for the impeachment of President Richard M. Nixon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John J. Jenkins</span> American judge

John James Jenkins was an English American immigrant, lawyer, judge, and Republican politician. He served seven terms as a member of the United States House of Representatives, representing northwest Wisconsin, and served one year as United States district judge for the District of Puerto Rico.

Frederick P. Kessler is a retired American lawyer, arbitrator, judge, and Democratic Party politician. He served as a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly for 24 years between 1961 and 2019, and served 11 years as a state judge in the 1970s and 1980s.

Russell A. Olson was an American farmer and Republican politician. He was the 39th Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin (1979–1983) and was afterward appointed Midwest Director for the United States Department of Transportation in the administration of U.S. President Ronald Reagan. Before being elected Lieutenant Governor, he represented Kenosha County in the Wisconsin State Assembly for 15 years.

Roland Bernard Day was an American lawyer, politician, and jurist. He was the 24th Chief Justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court, in 1995 and 1996, after a 22-year career on the court.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Connor Hansen</span> 20th century American judge, justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court

Connor Theodore Hansen was a justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court for 13 years, from 1967 until 1980. An American attorney and Republican politician, he previously served as County Judge and District Attorney of Eau Claire County, and worked as a special agent of the Federal Bureau of Investigation during World War II.

Louis John Ceci is a retired American lawyer, jurist, and Republican politician. He was a justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court from 1982 through 1993, after serving eight years as a Wisconsin circuit court judge in Milwaukee County. He previously represented northern Milwaukee County in the Wisconsin State Assembly during the 1965 session.

Charles Joseph "Chuck" Chvala is an American real estate dealer, lawyer, and former politician. He served 20 years in the Wisconsin State Senate, representing Dane County, and was the Democratic leader from 1995 through 2002. His political career was ended by a 2002 scandal which found he and other lawmakers had illegally utilized state employees for campaign work.

James Earl Leverich was an American dairy farmer, strawberry grower, and Progressive Republican politician. He served 28 years in the Wisconsin State Senate, and was chairman of the town of Angelo, Wisconsin, for 40 years (1931–1971). He went by his middle name Earl throughout his public career.

Gregory A. Peterson is an American lawyer and retired judge. He served 13 years as a judge of the Wisconsin Court of Appeals in the Wausau-based District III court. Before that, he was a Wisconsin Circuit Court Judge in Eau Claire County for 16 years, including three years as Chief Judge of the 10th Judicial Administrative District of Wisconsin Circuit Courts. Since his retirement, he continues to serve as a reserve judge and arbitrator in the state court system.

Michael T. Sullivan was an American lawyer and judge. He was a judge of the Wisconsin Court of Appeals for 12 years, after serving nearly 30 years as a trial court judge in Milwaukee County.

Michael Joseph Barron was an American lawyer, judge, and Democratic politician from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He served four years as chief judge of the 1st district of Wisconsin circuit courts, and served a total of 26 years as a circuit judge in Milwaukee County. Earlier in life, he also served two terms in the Wisconsin State Assembly, representing part of northeast Milwaukee, and was a member of the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors from 1964 until 1973.

Louise M. Tesmer is an American lawyer, judge, and former politician. She was a Wisconsin circuit court judge for 12 years in the Milwaukee County circuit (1989–2001), and has continued to serve as a reserve judge since her retirement. Prior to her judicial service, she served sixteen years in the Wisconsin State Assembly, representing the city of Milwaukee as a Democrat.

Earl William Schmidt is an American lawyer, farmer, politician, and judge. He served nearly 20 years (1982–2002) as a Wisconsin Circuit Court Judge in the Shawano–Menominee circuit, and was Chief Judge of the 9th District of Wisconsin Circuit Courts from 1992 through 1998. Earlier in his career, he was a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly, serving four terms as a Republican.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">D. C. Coolidge</span> D. C. Coolidge

Dana C. Coolidge was a politician from Wisconsin.

Steven C. Brist is an American attorney and former Democratic politician. He served three terms in the Wisconsin State Assembly and currently works as an assistant city attorney for Madison, Wisconsin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wisconsin's 68th Assembly district</span> Assembly District of Wisconsin

The 68th Assembly District of Wisconsin is one of 99 districts in the Wisconsin State Assembly. Located in Northwestern Wisconsin, the district comprises the eastern half of Eau Claire County and about half of Clark County, as well as part of southeast Chippewa County. The district includes the cities of Altoona, Augusta, Greenwood, Osseo, Owen, Stanley, and Thorp. The district is represented by Republican Karen Hurd, since January 2023.

Mark D. Lewis is a retired American businessman and Democratic politician. He served six years in the Wisconsin State Assembly (1983–1989), representing Eau Claire County and was later President of the Eau Claire City Council (1993–1997).

David R. Hopkins was an American engineer, businessman, and Republican politician. He served two years in the Wisconsin State Assembly, representing Chippewa County.

Bruce Edward Schroeder is an American lawyer and Wisconsin circuit court judge for Kenosha County. He is the longest-serving state court judge in Wisconsin, having been first appointed in 1983. He was previously district attorney of Kenosha County. He came to national attention in 2021 due to his role as the presiding judge for the trial of Kyle Rittenhouse.

References

  1. ↑ "Judge Thomas Barland". Wisconsin Elections Commission . Retrieved September 20, 2020.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Attorney Joins Legal Firm Here". Eau Claire Leader . Eau Claire, Wisconsin. January 8, 1957. p. 7. Retrieved September 20, 2020– via Newspapers.com.
  3. ↑ Lindquist, Eric (May 31, 2001). "Judging history". Eau Claire Leader-Telegram . Eau Claire, Wisconsin. p. 1B. Retrieved September 21, 2020– via Newspapers.com.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "Tom Barland to Make Race for Assembly". Eau Claire Leader . Eau Claire, Wisconsin. June 15, 1960. p. 3. Retrieved September 20, 2020– via Newspapers.com.
  5. 1 2 Toepel, M. G.; Theobald, H. Rupert, eds. (1962). "Wisconsin Elections". The Wisconsin Blue Book, 1962 (Report). Madison, Wisconsin: State of Wisconsin. p. 867. Retrieved September 20, 2020.
  6. 1 2 3 "Barland, Thomas H. 1930". Wisconsin Historical Society . Archived from the original on May 17, 2011. Retrieved September 20, 2020– via Wayback Machine.
  7. ↑ "Unraveling Kellett Maze--New Job Titles". The Capital Times . Madison, Wisconsin. October 16, 1967. p. 30. Retrieved September 20, 2020– via Newspapers.com.
  8. ↑ "Barland Takes Oath as New County Judge". Eau Claire Leader . March 16, 1967. p. 3. Retrieved September 20, 2020– via Newspapers.com.
  9. ↑ "Block, incumbents elected to city council". Eau Claire Leader-Telegram . Eau Claire, Wisconsin. April 3, 1974. p. 1. Retrieved September 21, 2020.
  10. ↑ "O'Brien appointed judge here". Eau Claire Leader-Telegram . Eau Claire, Wisconsin. December 17, 1975. p. 1. Retrieved September 21, 2020– via Newspapers.com.
  11. ↑ "Judges to take office Monday". Eau Claire Leader-Telegram . Eau Claire, Wisconsin. January 2, 1976. p. 3. Retrieved September 21, 2020– via Newspapers.com.
  12. ↑ Theobald, H. Rupert; Robbins, Patricia V., eds. (1979). "The Judicial Branch" (PDF). The state of Wisconsin 1979-1980 Blue Book (Report). Madison, Wisconsin: State of Wisconsin. pp. 655–688. Retrieved September 21, 2020.
  13. ↑ Holtz, Dan (July 29, 2000). "Retiring Judge - Man of honor". Eau Claire Leader-Telegram . Eau Claire, Wisconsin. p. 1. Retrieved September 21, 2020– via Newspapers.com.
  14. ↑ "Two Eau Claire judges selected for top honors". Wisconsin Court System. Milwaukee. February 26, 2010. Retrieved September 20, 2020.
  15. ↑ Zweifel, Dave (November 21, 2015). "Remember who butchered clean government". Baraboo News Republic . p. A5. Retrieved September 21, 2020– via Newspapers.com.
  16. ↑ Bailey, William Francis (1914). History of Eau Claire county, Wisconsin, past and present. Chicago: C. F. Cooper. p. 355.
  17. 1 2 "Thomas and Jill Barland Fund". Eau Claire Community Foundation. Retrieved September 21, 2020.
  18. ↑ Chovanec, Jennifer (April 23, 1999). "A great citizen". Eau Claire Leader-Telegram . Eau Claire, Wisconsin. p. 15. Retrieved September 21, 2020– via Newspapers.com.
  19. ↑ Theobald, H. Rupert, ed. (1964). "Elections in Wisconsin" (PDF). The Wisconsin Blue Book, 1964 (Report). State of Wisconsin. p. 764.
  20. ↑ Theobald, H. Rupert, ed. (1966). "Elections in Wisconsin" (PDF). The Wisconsin Blue Book, 1966 (Report). State of Wisconsin. p. 764.
Wisconsin State Assembly
Preceded byMember of the Wisconsin State Assembly from the Eau Claire 1st district
January 1, 1961 –January 1, 1967		Succeeded by
Legal offices
Preceded by
Connor T. Hansen
County Judge for Eau Claire County, Branch 1
March 15, 1967 –December 31, 1975		Succeeded by
William D. O'Brien
Preceded by
Merrill R. Farr
 Wisconsin Circuit Court Judge for the 23rd Circuit
January 1, 1976 –July 31, 1978		Circuit abolished
New circuit Wisconsin Circuit Court Judge for the Eau Claire Circuit, Branch 1
August 1, 1978 –July 31, 2000		Succeeded by
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.