About 60 juvenile court clerks from across the state took advantage of the educational offerings at the 2022 Wisconsin Juvenile Court Clerk’s Association Conference in Madison July 20-22. Wisconsin Supreme Court Chief Justice Annette Kingsland Ziegler gave opening remarks, welcoming the group to Madison. She thanked the clerks for their hard work and contribution to the justice system and extra efforts they made to keep courts operational during the COVID-19 pandemic.
On July 6, Adams County held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a courthouse renovation project that will accommodate an additional new circuit court branch, effective Aug. 1. The process started in earnest in 2017, when the county board adopted a resolution in support of adding a circuit court branch. The building committee worked on project options during the next two years, and in 2019, the county approved funding for the renovation, which also includes a new jury room.
This issue of Third Branch eNews features 11 judges who recently retired or have announced their retirements from circuit courts in the following counties: Dane, Fond du Lac, Iowa, Lincoln, Marathon, Milwaukee, Portage, Rusk, Washington and Winnebago.
Third Judicial Administrative District Chief Judge Jennifer R. Dorow, Waukesha County Circuit Court, has been selected by her fellow chief judges to serve as chair of the Committee of Chief Judges, effective Aug. 1. Dorow will replace outgoing committee chair Gregory B. Huber, Marathon County Circuit Court. Huber was first elected to the circuit court in 2004 and is retiring from the bench effective July 31.
The Wisconsin Supreme Court has appointed Timothy Barber as a Supreme Court Commissioner to replace Julie Rich, who retired after 21 years as a commissioner. Barber started July 17, 2022. Prior to his appointment, he served more than five years as an Assistant Attorney General in the Wisconsin Department of Justice, including serving as a deputy unit director for criminal appeals.
Seventy-five municipal judges from across the state attended the 2022 Municipal Judge Seminar in Neenah July 14 and 15. Topics addressed included drug-impaired driving, public records, legal developments, language interpreters, plea agreements, judicial ethics and more. As of February 2021, there were 229 municipal courts in Wisconsin, including 79 of that were joint courts that serve from two to eighteen municipalities.
Senior Judge Neil Axel, District Court of Maryland, who is an ABA National Judicial Fellow, presents Drugged Driving: The Times they are A-Changin’ at the 2022 Municipal Judge Seminar in Neenah.
Oak Creek Municipal Court Judge Alice Rudebusch, presents on rules of evidence and related issues at the 2022 Municipal Judge Seminar in Neenah on July 15.
Officer Brad Fox of the Oshkosh Police Department and his K-9 Odin put on a demonstration for attendees of the 2022 Municipal Judges Seminar in Neenah on July 14.
Twenty-three new judges participated in the 2022 New Judge Orientation program at the Double Tree Hotel in Madison July 27-29. Participants in the annual Judicial Education program receive hands-on technology training and hear from court system presenters on topics, such as court operations, management services, State Law Library services and media relations. Other sessions presented by Wisconsin judges address Evidence-Based Decision Making, implicit bias, jury trials, family law, criminal law, security, child welfare, and other topics.
Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Rebecca Grassl Bradley addresses new judges during welcoming remarks at the 2022 New Judge Orientation program July 27 in Madison. The two-day program provides new judges with background and training on a range of topics.
Judge Jeffrey Wisnicky, Kewaunee County Circuit Court, introduces himself to fellow new judges at the start of the 2022 New Judge Orientation in Madison July 27. The Welcome and Introduction session was hosted by Judge Lisa Stark (right), Court of Appeals District III, who is Dean of the Wisconsin Judicial College.
A group of Milwaukee-based judges and court commissioners participated in the 51st annual Milwaukee Juneteenth festival and parade on June 19. They were joined by judges from Madison, Sheboygan and elsewhere.
Photo courtesy of the Wisconsin Association of African-American Lawyers.
