News

The Wisconsin Supreme Court has re-appointed circuit court judges from Barron, Kenosha, Marathon, and Marinette counties to serve new two-year terms as chief judge of their respective judicial administrative district. The terms run from Aug. 1, 2020 through July 31, 2022, or as determined by further order of the Court.

District Two: Chief Judge Jason A. Rossell, Kenosha County Circuit Court, was first appointed chief judge on May 8, 2017. He has served on circuit court since his appointment in 2011. He was elected to the bench in 2012 and re-elected in 2018. Rossell previously worked as a lawyer in private practice from 2002 to 2003 and again from 2008 to 2011. He was an assistant district attorney in Kenosha County from 2003 to 2008.

Rossell serves on the Legislative Committee of the Wisconsin Judicial Conference, the Judicial Education Committee and the Wisconsin Judicial Committee on Child Welfare, which is part of the Children’s Court Improvement Program (CCIP). District Two includes Kenosha, Racine and Walworth counties in Southeastern Wisconsin.

District Eight:Chief Judge James A. Morrison, Marinette County Circuit Court, was first appointed chief judge on Aug. 1, 2016. He has served as chair of the Committee of Chief Judges during the last year.

Morrison is on the executive and legislative committees of the Wisconsin Judicial Conference and is former chair of the Board of Bar Examiners. He previously worked as an attorney in private practice. Morrison was appointed to the circuit court in 2012, elected in 2013, and re-elected in 2019. District Eight includes Brown, Door, Kewaunee, Marinette, Oconto, Outagamie and Waupaca counties.

District Nine: Chief Judge Gregory B. Huber, Marathon County Circuit Court, was first appointed chief judge on Aug. 1, 2016. He was first elected to the circuit court bench in 2004 and re-elected in 2010 and 2016. Before joining the circuit court, Huber represented the 85th Assembly District in the Wausau area, from 1989 to 2004. He was an assistant district attorney in Marathon County from 1983 to 1988.

Huber previously served on the Legislative Committee of the Wisconsin Judicial Conference and as deputy chief judge of the district. District Nine includes Florence, Forest, Langlade, Lincoln, Marathon, Menominee, Oneida, Portage, Price, Shawano, Taylor, Vilas, and Wood counties.

District Ten: Chief Judge Maureen D. Boyle, Barron County Circuit Court, was first appointed chief judge on Aug. 1, 2018. She was first appointed to the Barron County bench in 2013, elected in 2014 and re-elected in 2020. She previously served as an assistant district attorney in Barron, Walworth, and Rock counties and as assistant director of the Center on Impaired Driving.

Boyle is a member of the Criminal Jury Instruction Committee of the Wisconsin Judicial Conference. The Tenth District encompasses the northwestern part of the state, including Ashland, Barron, Bayfield, Burnett, Chippewa, Douglas, Dunn, Eau Claire, Iron, Polk, Rusk, St. Croix, Sawyer, and Washburn counties.

Each year, or as necessary, the Supreme Court appoints or re-appoints chief judges who may serve up to three two-year terms as chief judge or as ordered by the Court. Other current chief judges include:

• District One - Chief Judge Mary E. Triggiano, Milwaukee County Circuit Court
• District Three - Chief Judge Jennifer R. Dorow, Waukesha County Circuit Court
• District Four - Chief Judge Barbara Hart Key, Winnebago County Circuit Court
• District Five - Chief Judge Thomas J. Vale, Green County Circuit Court
• District Seven - Chief Judge Robert P. VanDeHey, Grant County Circuit Court

Working as a team with deputy chief judges and district court administrators, chief judges meet throughout the year as a committee to address administrative issues of statewide importance. With the exception of the First Judicial Administrative District, where the chief judge is a full-time administrator, chief judges and their deputies maintain court calendars in addition to handling administrative matters. More information about chief judges and the Committee of Chief Judges can be found here.

Contact:
Tom Sheehan
Court Information Officer
(608) 261-6640