Court of Appeals of Wisconsin | |
---|---|
Established | August 1978 |
Jurisdiction | Wisconsin |
Location | Milwaukee (District I) Waukesha (District II) Wausau (District III) Madison (District IV) |
Composition method | Non-partisan election from within judicial district |
Authorized by | Wis. Const. Art VII § 5 Wis. Stats. Chapter 752 |
Appeals to | Supreme Court of Wisconsin |
Appeals from | Wisconsin circuit courts |
Judge term length | Six years |
Number of positions | 16 |
Website | www |
Chief Judge | |
Currently | Maxine Aldridge White |
Since | August 1, 2023 |
Deputy Chief Judge | |
Currently | Lisa K. Stark |
Since | August 2, 2015 |
Division map | |
The Wisconsin Court of Appeals is an intermediate appellate court that reviews contested decisions of the Wisconsin circuit courts. The Court of Appeals was created in August 1978 [1] to alleviate the Wisconsin Supreme Court's rising number of appellate cases. Published Court of Appeals opinions are considered binding precedent until overruled by the Supreme Court; unpublished opinions are not. The Court hears most appeals in three-judge panels, but appeals of circuit court decisions in misdemeanor, small claims, and municipal ordinance cases are decided by a single judge.
The Court of Appeals comprises 16 judges elected to six-year terms in four geographic districts. Districts I and II have four judges each, three judges are chambered in District III, and five in District IV. The court is administered by a chief judge, appointed by the Wisconsin Supreme Court, who is assisted by a deputy chief judge and a presiding judge in each district. Vacancies on the court are filled by gubernatorial appointment; following the appointment of a judge, a new election for that seat is scheduled in the next Spring election in which no other Appeals Court seat in that Appeals Court District is up for election, unless that election occurs less than five months from the date of the appointment. [2]
Name | Years on court | Assumed office | Term ends [lower-alpha 1] | Law school | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
District I | |||||
Presiding Judge | Joe Donald | 4 | September 4, 2019 | 2026 | Marquette University |
Chief Judge | Maxine Aldridge White | 4 | January 16, 2020 | 2027 | Marquette University |
Judge 3 | Sara J. Geenen | 1 | August 1, 2023 | 2029 | University of Wisconsin |
Judge 4 | Pedro Colón | 0 | November 20, 2023 | 2030 | University of Wisconsin |
District II | |||||
Judge 1 | Lisa S. Neubauer | 16 | December 2007 | 2026 | University of Chicago |
Presiding Judge | Mark D. Gundrum | 12 | November 4, 2011 | 2025 | University of Wisconsin |
Judge 3 | Shelley Grogan | 3 | August 1, 2021 | 2027 | Marquette University |
Judge 4 | Maria S. Lazar | 2 | August 1, 2022 | 2028 | Georgetown University |
District III | |||||
Deputy Chief Judge (PJ) | Lisa K. Stark | 11 | April 23, 2013 | 2025 | University of Wisconsin |
Judge 2 | Thomas F. Hruz | 10 | July 21, 2014 | 2028 | Marquette University |
Judge 3 | Greg Gill | 3 | August 1, 2021 | 2027 | Marquette University |
District IV | |||||
Presiding Judge | Brian W. Blanchard | 14 | August 1, 2010 | 2028 | Northwestern University |
Judge 2 | JoAnne F. Kloppenburg | 12 | August 1, 2012 | 2030 | University of Wisconsin |
Judge 3 | Rachel A. Graham | 5 | July 4, 2019 | 2026 | University of Wisconsin |
Judge 4 | Jennifer E. Nashold | 5 | August 1, 2019 | 2025 | University of Wisconsin |
Judge 5 | Chris Taylor | 1 | August 1, 2023 | 2029 | University of Wisconsin |
Judge | District | Start year | End year | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
Robert C. Cannon | I | 1978 | 1981 | Presiding Judge (1978–1979) |
John A. Decker | I | 1978 | 1984 | Chief Judge (1978–1983) |
William R. Moser | I | 1978 | 1992 | Presiding Judge (1985–1992) Presiding Judge (1979–1983) |
Rudolph T. Randa | I | 1981 | 1982 | Appointed by Lee S. Dreyfus Elevated to the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin |
Michael T. Sullivan | I | 1984 | 1996 | |
Charles B. Schudson | I | 1992 | 2004 | |
Ted E. Wedemeyer Jr. | I | 1982 | 1988 | Presiding Judge (1983–1985) |
1992 | 2008 | Presiding Judge (1993–2007) | ||
Ralph Adam Fine | I | 1988 | 2014 | |
Patricia Curley | I | 1996 | 2016 | Presiding Judge (2007–2016) |
Joan Kessler | I | 2004 | 2020 | |
Kitty Brennan | I | 2008 | 2019 | Appointed by Jim Doyle |
Rebecca Bradley | I | 2015 | 2015 | Appointed by Scott Walker |
William Brash | I | 2015 | 2023 | Appointed by Scott Walker Chief Judge (2021–2023) Presiding Judge (2019–2021) Lost re-election |
Timothy Dugan | I | 2016 | 2023 | Appointed by Scott Walker |
Joe Donald | I | 2019 | Appointed by Tony Evers Presiding Judge (2021-Present) | |
Maxine Aldridge White | I | 2020 | Appointed by Tony Evers Chief Judge (2023–present) | |
Sara J. Geenen | I | 2023 | ||
Pedro Colón | I | 2023 | Appointed by Tony Evers |
Judge | District | Start year | End year | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
Harold M. Bode | II | 1978 | 1981 | |
Clair H. Voss | II | 1978 | 1983 | Presiding Judge (1978–1983) |
Richard S. Brown | II | 1978 | 2015 | Chief Judge (2007–2015) Presiding Judge (1996–2001) Presiding Judge (1983–1990) |
Burton A. Scott | II | 1980 | 1991 | Chief Judge (1983–1989) |
Neal Nettesheim | II | 1983 | 2007 | Appointed by Tony Earl Deputy Chief Judge (1998–2007) Presiding Judge (2001–2003) Presiding Judge (1990–1993) |
Daniel P. Anderson | II | 1990 | 2011 | Presiding Judge (2007–2009) Presiding Judge (2003–2005) Presiding Judge (1993–1996) |
Harry G. Snyder | II | 1991 | 2010 | Appointed by Tommy Thompson Presiding Judge |
Lisa S. Neubauer | II | 2007 | Appointed by Jim Doyle Chief Judge (2015–2021) Presiding Judge (2009–2015) | |
Paul F. Reilly | II | 2010 | 2022 | Presiding Judge (2015–2021) |
Mark Gundrum | II | 2011 | Appointed by Scott Walker Presiding Judge (2021–present) | |
Brian Hagedorn | II | 2015 | 2019 | Appointed by Scott Walker Elevated to Wisconsin Supreme Court |
Jeffrey O. Davis | II | 2019 | 2021 | Appointed by Tony Evers Lost re-election |
Shelley Grogan | II | 2021 | ||
Lori Kornblum | II | 2022 | 2022 | Appointed by Tony Evers Lost re-election |
Maria S. Lazar | II | 2022 |
Judge | District | Start year | End year | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
W. Patrick Donlin | III | 1978 | 1981 | |
John P. Foley | III | 1978 | 1984 | Presiding Judge (1981–1984) |
Robert W. Dean | III | 1978 | 1986 | Presiding Judge (1978–1981) |
Thomas Cane | III | 1981 | 2007 | Appointed by Lee S. Dreyfus Chief Judge (1998–2007) Deputy Chief Judge (1989–1998) Presiding Judge (1984–1998) |
Daniel L. LaRocque | III | 1985 | 1997 | Appointed by Tony Earl |
Gordon Myse | III | 1986 | 1999 | Appointed by Tony Earl Presiding Judge (1998–1999) |
Michael W. Hoover | III | 1997 | 2015 | Deputy Chief Judge (2012–2015) Presiding Judge (1999–2015) |
Gregory A. Peterson | III | 1999 | 2007 | Deputy Chief Judge (2007–2012) |
Edward R. Brunner | III | 2007 | 2011 | |
Mark Mangerson | III | 2011 | 2014 | Appointed by Scott Walker |
Lisa K. Stark | III | 2013 | Appointed by Scott Walker Deputy Chief Judge (2015–present) Presiding Judge (2015–present) | |
Thomas F. Hruz | III | 2014 | Appointed by Scott Walker | |
Mark Seidl | III | 2015 | 2021 | |
Greg Gill | III | 2021 | ||
Judge | District | Start year | End year | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
Martha Bablitch | IV | 1978 | 1985 | |
Paul C. Gartzke | IV | 1978 | 1996 | Presiding Judge (1978–1996) |
Charles P. Dykman | IV | 1978 | 2010 | Presiding Judge (2009–2010) Presiding Judge (1996–2001) |
William Eich | IV | 1985 | 2000 | Appointed by Tony Earl Chief Judge (1989–1998) |
Robert D. Sundby | IV | 1986 | 1996 | |
Margaret J. Vergeront | IV | 1994 | 2012 | Presiding Judge (2010–2011) |
Patience D. Roggensack | IV | 1996 | 2003 | Elevated to Wisconsin Supreme Court |
David G. Deininger | IV | 1996 | 2007 | Appointed by Tommy Thompson Presiding Judge (2003–2005) |
Paul Lundsten | IV | 2000 | 2019 | Appointed by Tommy Thompson Presiding Judge (2017–2019) Presiding Judge (2011–2013) Presiding Judge (2005–2007) |
Paul B. Higginbotham | IV | 2003 | 2017 | Appointed by Jim Doyle Presiding Judge (2007–2009) |
Burnie Bridge | IV | 2007 | 2010 | Appointed by Jim Doyle |
Gary Sherman | IV | 2010 | 2019 | Appointed by Jim Doyle |
Brian Blanchard | IV | 2010 | Presiding Judge (2021-present) Presiding Judge (2013–2015) | |
JoAnne Kloppenburg | IV | 2012 | Presiding Judge (2015–2017) | |
Michael R. Fitzpatrick | IV | 2017 | 2023 | Presiding Judge (2019-2021) |
Rachel A. Graham | IV | 2019 | Appointed by Tony Evers | |
Jennifer E. Nashold | IV | 2019 | ||
Chris Taylor | IV | 2023 |
The United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts for the following districts:
The United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit is the U.S. federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the courts in the following districts:
The Supreme Court of Maryland is the highest court of the U.S. state of Maryland. The court, which is composed of one chief justice and six associate justices, meets in the Robert C. Murphy Courts of Appeal Building in the state capital, Annapolis. The term of the Court begins the second Monday of September. The Court is unique among American courts in that the justices wear red robes.
The Supreme Court of Florida is the highest court in the U.S. state of Florida. It consists of seven justices—one of whom serves as Chief Justice. Six members are chosen from six districts around the state to foster geographic diversity, and one is selected at large.
The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin is a federal trial court of limited jurisdiction. The court is under the auspices of the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, although patent claims and claims against the federal government under the Tucker Act are appealed to the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. The Eastern District was established on June 30, 1870.
The Wisconsin Supreme Court is the highest appellate court in Wisconsin. The Supreme Court has jurisdiction over original actions, appeals from lower courts, and regulation or administration of the practice of law in Wisconsin.
The Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia is the state supreme court of the state of West Virginia, the highest of West Virginia's state courts. The court sits primarily at the West Virginia State Capitol in Charleston, although from 1873 to 1915, it was also required by state law to hold sessions in Charles Town in the state's Eastern Panhandle. The court also holds special sittings at various locations across the state.
Patience Drake "Pat" Roggensack is a retired American attorney and jurist. She served as the 26th chief justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court from 2015 to 2021. Concurrently, she served for 20 years on the high court, from 2003 through 2023.
Terence Thomas Evans was a judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit and a United States district judge for the Eastern District of Wisconsin. Earlier in his career, he was a Wisconsin Circuit Court Judge in Milwaukee County.
The Wisconsin circuit courts are the general trial courts in the state of Wisconsin. There are currently 69 circuits in the state, divided into 9 judicial administrative districts. Circuit court judges hear and decide both civil and criminal cases. Each of the 249 circuit court judges are elected and serve six-year terms.
The judiciary of Illinois is the unified court system of Illinois primarily responsible for applying the Constitution and law of Illinois. It consists of the Supreme Court, the Appellate Court, and circuit courts. The Supreme Court oversees the administration of the court system.
Brad Schimel is an American lawyer, judge, and Republican politician. He was the 44th attorney general of Wisconsin, serving from 2015 to 2019. He was defeated seeking re-election in 2018, and was subsequently appointed a Wisconsin circuit court judge in Waukesha County, by Governor Scott Walker. Schimel is seeking election to the Wisconsin Supreme Court in the 2025 Spring election. He also previously served as district attorney of Waukesha County.
Brian Keith Hagedorn is an American lawyer and a justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court, serving since 2019. Prior to his election to the supreme court, he served four years as a judge on the Wisconsin Court of Appeals.
Jennifer Elise Nashold is an American attorney, currently serving as a judge of the Wisconsin Court of Appeals. She was elected in 2019.
Maxine Aldridge White is an American attorney and judge. She is the chief judge of the Wisconsin Court of Appeals, and has served on the Court of Appeals in the Milwaukee-based District I court since 2020. She is the first African-American woman to serve on the Wisconsin Court of Appeals.
The 2019 Wisconsin Spring Election was held in the U.S. state of Wisconsin on April 2, 2019. There was one seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court on the ballot, as well as several other nonpartisan local and judicial elections. There were also a number of local referendums for school funding. The 2019 Wisconsin Spring Primary was held February 19, 2019.
The 2015 Wisconsin Spring Election was held in the U.S. state of Wisconsin on April 7, 2015. There was a contested election for justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court, as well as several other nonpartisan local and judicial elections and an amendment to the Constitution of Wisconsin to change the process for selection of the chief justice of the State Supreme Court. In addition, the ballot contained a special election to fill a vacancy in the 20th State Senate district. The 2015 Wisconsin Spring Primary was held February 17, 2015.
The 2023 Wisconsin Spring Election was held in the U.S. state of Wisconsin on April 4, 2023. The featured race at the top of the ticket was for an open seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court, which became the most expensive judicial election in history. Several other nonpartisan local and judicial offices were also decided on the April 4 ballot, including mayoral elections in some of Wisconsin's larger cities—Green Bay, Madison, and Racine. In addition, a special election was held in the 8th State Senate district, concurrent with the Spring elections. The 2023 Wisconsin Spring Primary was held February 21, 2023.
Jennifer R. Dorow is an American attorney from Wisconsin. She is a Wisconsin circuit court judge in Waukesha County, serving since 2011. She previously served as chief judge of the 3rd district of Wisconsin circuit courts (2017–2023). In 2022, she presided over the trial of Darrell Brooks Jr., the perpetrator of the Waukesha Christmas parade attack, which received national news coverage. Following that trial, Dorow ran for a vacant seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court, but was eliminated in the primary.
Maria S. Lazar is an American lawyer and a judge of the Wisconsin Court of Appeals, since August 2022, in Waukesha-based District II. She previously served seven years as a Wisconsin circuit court judge in Waukesha County. During the administration of Governor Scott Walker, she worked as an assistant attorney general in the Wisconsin Department of Justice and handled significant litigation, including lawsuits over redistricting and the controversial "budget repair" bill.