Former judges
Judge Daniel P. Anderson
Court of Appeals–District II: 1990–2011Presiding Judge: 1993–1996; 2003–2005; 2007–2009
Prior to attending law school, Judge Daniel P. Anderson served as a Missile Safety Officer in the USAF and was discharged as a Captain, earning the Air Force Commendation Medal with an Oak Leaf Cluster. He graduated cum laude from the UW-Madison Law School in 1973 and returned to his hometown, Plymouth, Wisconsin, where he joined his father in the private practice of law.
In 1978, he was appointed by Acting Governor Martin Schreiber to Branch 1 of the Sheboygan County Court. At that time, the court's jurisdiction was limited to probate and small claims cases. In 1979, Judge Anderson was elected to a six-year term to the newly created Branch 4 of the Sheboygan County Circuit Court and was reelected to a second term in 1985. While a circuit court judge, he presided over every variety of cases within the original jurisdiction of the circuit court. When he left in 1990, he was serving as presiding judge.
Judge Anderson was elected to the newly created fourth seat on the Wisconsin Court of Appeals, District II, in 1990 and was regularly reelected until his retirement on June 24, 2011, just forty-five days short of serving thirty-three years in the Wisconsin Court System. While on the Court of Appeals, he served three terms as presiding judge.
Judge Anderson served on numerous committees within the Wisconsin Court System, including the Judicial Council, Policy and Planning Advisory Committee, Information and Technology Strategic Planning and Procedure Committee, Bench Bar Committee, and E-Filing Planning Committee.
He was active in judicial education, serving as a volunteer faculty member of both the Wisconsin Judicial College and the National Judicial College. In addition to presenting numerous educational programs spotlighting sexual abuse issues and technology to Wisconsin's judges, he presented to national audiences in Iowa, Ohio, and Williamsburg, VA.
In 2008, Judge Anderson was elected an ASTAR Science and Technology Fellow after completing a comprehensive two-year program in basic life sciences and advanced programs in neurology, medical errors, and advanced forensic science. ASTAR (Advanced Science and Technology Adjudication Resource Center) is a congressionally mandated program to develop a cadre of judges in each state to be a resource for fellow judges on issues involving science and technology.
Judge Anderson plans an active retirement, but he is not planning to serve as a reserve judge or to return to the practice of law. He will devote his time to his grandchildren, volunteer services, recreational reading of any book not written by an attorney, and resume his interest in photography and master digital photography software. Judge Anderson is also booking two tours a year and wants to visit from London to Paris to Rome to Sitka.