News

The Wisconsin Supreme Court has re-appointed circuit court judges from Fond du Lac, Rock, Buffalo and Pepin, and St. Croix counties to new two-year terms as chief judges of their respective judicial administrative districts, effective Aug. 1:

• District Four Chief Judge Robert J. Wirtz, Fond du Lac Circuit Court. District Four encompasses Calumet, Fond du Lac, Manitowoc, Sheboygan and Winnebago counties;
• District Five Chief Judge James P. Daley, Rock County Circuit Court. District Five encompasses Dane, Green, Lafayette and Rock counties;
• District Seven Chief Judge James J. Duvall, Buffalo and Pepin counties (combined) circuit courts. District Seven includes Buffalo, Crawford, Grant, Iowa, Jackson, La Crosse, Monroe, Pepin, Pierce, Richland, Trempealeau and Vernon counties.
• District Ten Chief Judge Scott R. Needham, St. Croix County Circuit Court. District Ten encompasses Ashland, Barron, Bayfield, Burnett, Chippewa, Douglas, Dunn, Eau Claire, Polk, Rusk, St. Croix, Sawyer and Washburn counties.

Working as a team with a deputy chief judge and a professional court administrator from each of the state’s ten judicial districts, chief judges manage the flow of cases, supervise personnel, develop budgets, and meet monthly as a committee to work on issues of statewide importance.

The chief judges meet as a committee approximately seven times per year. As needed, the chief judges convene subcommittees to consider issues and problems facing the trial courts.

Five of the 10 chief judges are elected each year to two-year terms and a maximum of three terms. Other chief judges currently serving on the committee include:

• Chief Judge Allan B. (Pat) Torhorst, Racine County Circiut Court, District Two;
• Chief Judge Randy R. Koschnick, Jefferson County Circuit Court, District Three;
• Chief Judge Gregory J. Potter, Wood County Circuit Court, District Six;
• Chief Judge Donald R. Zuidmulder, Brown County Circuit Court, District Eight; and
• Chief Judge Neal A. Nielsen, Vilas County Circuit Court, District Nine.

The Supreme Court previously announced the appointment of Judge Maxine A. White, Milwaukee County Circuit Court, as chief judge of the First Judicial District (Milwaukee County), effective Aug. 1. White replaces First District Chief Judge Jeffrey A. Kremers, who will have completed his maximum of three, two-year terms as a chief judge. The Court has also appointed District II Court of Appeals Judge Lisa S. Neubauer to replace Chief Judge Richard S. Brown as chief judge of the Court of Appeals effective Aug. 2.

Tom Sheehan
Court Information Officer
(608) 261-6640