News

The Wisconsin Supreme Court has appointed circuit court judges from Marathon and Marinette counties chief judges of their respective judicial administrative districts in northeastern Wisconsin. The Court also re-appointed circuit court judges from Racine, Jefferson and Wood counties to continue as chief judges in their districts.

Deputy Chief Judge Gregory B. Huber, Marathon County Circuit Court, and Judge James A. Morrison, Marinette County Circuit Court, will start two-year terms as the new chief judge of the Ninth and Eighth Judicial Administrative Districts, respectively, on Aug. 1.

Huber was elected to the circuit court bench in 2004 and was re-elected in 2010 and 2016. He has served as deputy chief judge of the Ninth District since 2012. Before joining the court, he served as a state representative from the 85th Assembly District in the Wausau area, from 1989 to 2004. From 1983 to 1988, he was an assistant district attorney in Marathon County.

Huber has served on the Legislative Committee of the Wisconsin Judicial Conference and as co-chair of the Ninth District’s Pro Se Committee. The Ninth District encompasses Florence, Forest, Iron, Langlade, Lincoln, Marathon, Menominee, Oneida, Price, Shawano, Taylor, and Vilas counties.

Huber replaces outgoing Chief Judge Neal “Chip” A. Nielsen III, who is stepping down after serving two two-year terms as a chief judge. Nielsen remains on the Vilas County bench on which he has served since 2003.

Morrison was appointed to the Marinette County bench in 2012 and elected to a six-year term in 2013. He serves on the executive and legislative committees of the Judicial Conference and is former chair of the Board of Bar Examiners. He previously worked as an attorney in private practice.

Morrison will replace outgoing Eight District Chief Judge Donald R. Zuidmulder, Brown County Circuit Court. Zuidmulder will have served the maximum three two-year terms as chief judge on July 31. The Eighth District encompasses Brown, Door, Kewaunee, Marinette, Oconto, Outagamie, and Waupaca counties. Zuidmulder will continue serving on the Brown County bench on which he has served since 1997.

Each year, the Supreme Court appoints or re-appoints circuit court judges as needed to serve as administrative chief judges in each of the state’s 10 judicial administrative districts.

Circuit court judges re-appointed to two-year terms, effective Aug. 1, are:

• District Two Chief Judge Allan P. “Pat” Torhorst, Racine County Circuit Court. District Two encompasses Kenosha, Racine, and Walworth counties.
• District Three Chief Judge Randy R. Koschnick, Jefferson County Circuit Court. District Three encompasses Jefferson, Ozaukee, Washington, and Waukesha counties.
• District Six Chief Judge Gregory J. Potter, Wood County Circuit Court. District Six encompasses Adams, Clark, Columbia, Dodge, Green Lake, Juneau, Marquette, Portage, Sauk, Waushara, and Wood counties.

Circuit court judges who continue their terms as a chief judge are:

• District One Chief Judge Maxine A. White, Milwaukee County Circuit Court. District One encompasses Milwaukee County.
• District Four Chief Judge Robert J. Wirtz, Fond du Lac County 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, a chief judge manages the flow of cases and meets several times a year with other chief judges as a committee to work on 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.

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