MONTHLY STATISTICAL REPORT
JANUARY 2011
This statistical report presents information about the case filings and dispositions of the Wisconsin Supreme Court during the month of January 2011 and to date for the term that began on September 1, 2010.
Opinions Issued
by the Court
The Supreme Court issued opinions resolving 2 cases in January. Information about these opinions, including the Court’s dispositions and the names of the authoring justices, can be found on the attached table.
January 2011 Term to Date
Total number of cases resolved by opinion .............................. 2 20
Attorney disciplinary cases................................................. 2 14
Judicial disciplinary cases................................................... 0 0
Civil cases......................................................................... 0 4
Criminal cases .................................................................. 0 2
Petitions for Review
A total of 76 petitions for review were filed during the month. A petition for review asks the Supreme Court to review the decision of the Court of Appeals. The Supreme Court’s jurisdiction is discretionary, meaning that review is granted in selected cases only. In January, the Supreme Court disposed of 65 petitions for review, of which 5 petitions were granted. The Supreme Court currently has 253 petitions for review pending.
January 2011 Term to Date
Petitions for Review filed.......................................................... 76 361
Civil cases......................................................................... 40 190
Criminal cases................................................................... 36 171
Petition for Review dispositions................................................ 65 303
Civil cases (petitions granted)............................................. 33 (2) 163 (29)
Criminal cases (petitions granted)....................................... 32 (3) 140 (11)
Petitions for Bypass
In January, the Supreme Court received no petitions for bypass and disposed of 2 petitions for bypass. In a petition for bypass, a party requests that the Supreme Court take jurisdiction of an appeal or other proceeding pending in the Court of Appeals. A matter appropriate for bypass is usually one which meets one or more of the criteria for review by the Supreme Court and one the Supreme Court concludes it will ultimately choose to consider regardless of how the Court of Appeals might decide the issues. A petition for bypass may also be granted where there is a clear need to hasten the ultimate appellate decision. The Supreme Court currently has 4 petitions for bypass pending.
January 2011 Term to Date
Petitions for Bypass filed.......................................................... 0 7
Civil cases......................................................................... 0 5
Criminal cases................................................................... 0 2
Petition for Bypass dispositions................................................ 2 7
Civil cases (petitions granted)............................................. 0 (0) 4 (0)
Criminal cases (petitions granted)....................................... 2 (0) 3 (0)
Requests for
Certification
During January 2011, the Supreme Court received 2 requests for certification and disposed of no requests for certification. In a request for certification, the Court of Appeals asks the Supreme Court to exercise its appellate jurisdiction before the Court of Appeals hears the matter. A request for certification is decided on the basis of the same criteria as a petition to bypass. The Supreme Court currently has 3 requests for certification pending.
January 2011 Term to Date
Requests for Certification filed.................................................. 2 4
Civil cases......................................................................... 2 3
Criminal cases................................................................... 0 1
Request for Certification dispositions........................................ 0 3
Civil cases (requests granted)............................................. 0 (0) 2 (1)
Criminal cases (requests granted)....................................... 0 (0) 1 (1)
Regulatory
Matters, Supervisory Writs, and Original Actions
During the month, 7 matters within the regulatory jurisdiction of the Court (bar admission, lawyer discipline, and judicial discipline) were filed and no cases (disciplinary) were reopened. The Supreme Court also received 1 petition for supervisory writ, which ask the Supreme Court to order the Court of Appeals or a circuit court to take a certain action in a case. No original actions were filed. An original action is a petition asking the Supreme Court to take jurisdiction over a particular matter. When an opinion is issued in these cases, the disposition is included in “Opinions Issued by the Court” above; otherwise, the case is disposed of by order and is included in the totals below. The Supreme Court currently has 30 regulatory matters and 13 writs pending.
January 2011 Term to Date
Filings
Attorney discipline (including reopened cases).......................... 7 33
Judicial discipline..................................................................... 0 0
Bar admission.......................................................................... 0 0
Petitions
for Supervisory Writ (other writs)............................... 8 23
Other (including Original Actions)............................................. 0 2
Dispositions
by Order
Attorney discipline................................................................... 0 3
Judicial discipline..................................................................... 0 0
Bar admission.......................................................................... 0 0
Petitions for Supervisory Writ (other writs)............................... 5 23
Other (including Original Actions)............................................. 2* 6
* 2009AP2045 Order: Petition for review is granted, the August 10, 2010, decision of the court of appeals is vacated, and the matter is remanded to the court of appeals for further consideration.
2009AP2868 Order: Stipulation to dismiss the appeal granted.
DECISIONS BY THE
OPINIONS ISSUED DURING JANUARY 2011
ATTORNEY DISCIPLINE CASES
Docket No. Title Date
|
2008AP0182-D |
Office of Lawyer Regulation (OLR) v. Frederick J. Voss 4 Year and 8 Month Suspension. Per Curiam[1] |
01/19/2011 |
|
2009AP0468-D |
OLR v. James E. Hammis 4 Month Suspension. Per Curiam |
01/20/2011 |
[1] “Per Curiam” means “by the Court.” Opinions issued per curiam are handed down by the Court as a whole.