William Pocan | |
|---|---|
| Judge of the Milwaukee County Circuit Court | |
| Assumed office July 14, 2006 | |
| Appointed by | Jim Doyle |
| Preceded by | Michael P. Sullivan |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1961 (age 63–64) Kenosha,Wisconsin,U.S. |
| Relations | Mark Pocan (brother) |
| Education | University of Wisconsin–Parkside (BA) University of Wisconsin–Madison (JD) |
William S. Pocan Jr. (born 1961) is an American lawyer and jurist serving as deputy chief judge of the 1st district of Wisconsin circuit courts. He has served as a Wisconsin circuit court judge in Milwaukee County since 2006. In 2021,he was nominated by U.S. President Joe Biden to serve as a United States district judge for the Eastern District of Wisconsin,but his nomination expired without a hearing at the end of the 117th Congress.
William Pocan was born and raised in Kenosha,Wisconsin. He attended Mary D. Bradford High School [1] and graduated early,entering college at age 16. [2] He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Wisconsin–Parkside in 1981 and a Juris Doctor from the University of Wisconsin Law School in 1984. [3]
Pocan began his legal career at Brookhouse &Brookhouse in Kenosha,Wisconsin,where he worked from 1984 to 1985. From 1985 to 2006,he was an associate at Jastroch &LaBarge. [4] In 2006,Pocan was appointed a Wisconsin circuit court judge in Milwaukee County by Governor Jim Doyle. [5] [6] [7] Pocan was subsequently elected to a full six-year term on the court in 2007,and was then re-elected twice without opposition. He was appointed deputy chief judge of the first district of Wisconsin circuit courts (Milwaukee County) in 2020. [7] At various times,Pocan presided over juvenile,civil,and felony division cases. [8]
In 2014,Pocan was one of three finalists recommended to President Barack Obama by the bipartisan Wisconsin Federal Nominating Commission to fill a vacancy on the federal district court bench,but Pamela Pepper received the nomination instead. [8]
On December 15,2021,President Joe Biden nominated Pocan to serve as a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin. [9] Pocan was one of four finalists recommended to the president earlier in 2021 by the Wisconsin Federal Nominating Commission. [7] Biden nominated Pocan to the seat vacated by Judge William C. Griesbach,who took senior status on December 31,2019. [9]
On February 15,2022,U.S. Senator Ron Johnson announced he would withhold his blue slip,effectively blocking Pocan from receiving a hearing in the Senate Judiciary Committee,despite having previously recommended Pocan in a letter to the White House on June 22,2021. [10] [11] On January 3,2023,his nomination was returned to the President under Rule XXXI,Paragraph 6 of the United States Senate. [12]
Pocan's father,William S. Pocan Sr.,was an alderman on the Kenosha city council during the 1970s and 1980s. [13]
Pocan's younger brother,Mark Pocan,is a member of the United States House of Representatives for Wisconsin's 2nd congressional district. [14] Both Pocan brothers are gay. [15] [16]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Election, April 3, 2007 | |||||
| Nonpartisan | Bill Pocan | 40,917 | 50.21% | ||
| Nonpartisan | Chris Liegel | 40,097 | 49.20% | ||
| Scattering | 483 | 0.59% | |||
| Plurality | 820 | 1.01% | |||
| Total votes | 81,497 | 100.0% | -11.97% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Election, April 2, 2013 | |||||
| Nonpartisan | William S. Pocan (incumbent) | 60,343 | 98.40% | ||
| Scattering | 983 | 1.60% | |||
| Total votes | 61,326 | 100.0% | -24.75% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Election, April 2, 2019 | |||||
| Nonpartisan | William Pocan (incumbent) | 87,258 | 98.61% | ||
| Scattering | 1,229 | 1.39% | |||
| Total votes | 88,487 | 100.0% | +44.29% | ||