2009 WI 66

 

Supreme Court of Wisconsin

 

 

 

 

 

Case No.:

2007AP203

Complete Title:

 

 

Michael S. Polsky, as receiver for Communications Products Corporation,

          Plaintiff-Respondent-Cross-Appellant,

     v.

Daniel E. Virnich and Jack M. Moores,

          Defendants-Appellants-Cross-Respondents.

 

 

 

 

ON CERTIFICATION FROM THE COURT OF APPEALS

 

 

Opinion Filed:

July 7, 2009 

Submitted on Briefs:

      

Oral Argument:

January 7, 2009 

 

 

Source of Appeal:

 

 

Court:

Circuit 

 

County:

Grant 

 

Judge:

Michael Kirchman 

 

 

 

Justices:

 

 

Concurred:

      

 

Dissented:

      

 

Not Participating:

ROGGENSACK, J., did not participate. 

 

 

 

Attorneys:

 

For the plaintiff-respondent-cross appellant there were briefs by Robert J. Kasieta, Andrew J. Parrish, and the Kasieta Legal Group, LLC, Madison, and oral argument by Robert J. Kasieta.

 

For the defendants-appellants-cross respondents there were briefs by Donald K. Schott, Valerie L. Bailey-Rihn, James Richgels, and Quarles & Brady LLP, Madison, and Jeffrey O. Davis and Quarles & Brady LLP, Milwaukee, and oral argument by Donald K. Schott.

 

An amicus curiae brief was filed (in the court of appeals) by Thomas J. Arenz and Whyte Hirschboeck Dudek SC, Milwaukee, on behalf of Risk Management Association.

 

An amicus curiae brief was filed by John E. Knight, James E. Bartzen, Kirsten E. Spira, and Boardman, Suhr, Curry & Field LLP, Madison, on behalf of the Wisconsin Bankers Association, and oral argument by John E. Knight.

 

An amicus curiae brief was filed by William Haus and Haus, Roman and Banks, LLP, Madison, on behalf of the Sheet Metal Workers International Local Union No. 565.

 

 

 

 

2009 WI 66

notice

This opinion is subject to further editing and modification.  The final version will appear in the bound volume of the official reports. 

No.  2007AP203

(L.C. No.

2004CV285)

STATE OF WISCONSIN                   :

IN SUPREME COURT

 

 

Michael S. Polsky, as receiver for Communications Products Corporation,

 

          Plaintiff-Respondent-Cross-Appellant,

 

     v.

 

Daniel E. Virnich and Jack M. Moores,

 

          Defendants-Appellants-Cross-          Respondents.

 

 

 

FILED

 

JUL 7, 2009

 

David R. Schanker

Clerk of Supreme Court

 

 

 

 

 

APPEAL from a judgment of the Circuit Court for Grant County, Michael Kirchman, Judge.  Certification vacated. 

 

1   PER CURIAM.   The court is equally divided on whether to affirm or reverse the judgment of the circuit court.  Chief Justice Shirley S. Abrahamson, Justice Ann Walsh Bradley, and Justice N. Patrick Crooks would affirm.  Justice David T. Prosser, Jr., Justice Annette Kingsland Ziegler, and Justice Michael J. Gableman would reverse.  Justice Patience Drake Roggensack did not participate. 

2   When a certification or bypass results in a tie vote by this court, the better course of action is to vacate our decision to accept certification or bypass and remand the cause to the court of appeals.  State v. Richard Knutson, Inc., 191 Wis. 2d 395, 396-97, 528 N.W.2d 430 (1995) (remanding to court of appeals on a tie vote on certification); State v. Elam, 195 Wis. 2d 683, 684-85, 538 N.W.2d 249 (1995) (restating rule but declining to remand to court of appeals on a tie vote on bypass because court of appeals had previously decided issue).

3   Accordingly, we vacate our order granting certification and remand to the court of appeals.

By the Court.—The order granting certification is vacated and the cause is remanded to the court of appeals.