After 19 years on the Milwaukee County Circuit Court Branch 13 bench, Judge Mary E. Triggiano stepped down on June 2, 2023 to become the director for the Andrew Center for Restorative Justice at Marquette University Law School. Triggiano was first appointed to the circuit court in 2004. She was elected in 2005 and re-elected in 2011 and 2017 and served as chief judge of the First Judicial Administrative District from April 2020 to April 14, 2023.
Triggiano served as the presiding judge for Milwaukee County’s children’s court. She said children’s court and family court cases were her favorite cases to preside over. She also enjoyed serving in the drug treatment court. She is a former presiding judge for the domestic violence court, and has served on the public health subcommittee of Milwaukee’s Community Justice Council, Wisconsin Judicial Conference Executive Committee, Joint Legislative Council Special Committee on Reporting of Child Abuse and Neglect, Judicial Committee on Child Welfare, National Council on Juvenile and Family Court Judges, National Association of Women Judges, Wisconsin Trial Judges Association, Past Secretary of the Milwaukee Trial Judges Association, Juvenile Benchbook Committee, and the Child Welfare Partnership Council Advisory Board. She is a former deputy chief judge for the First District.
Triggiano said a lack of resources is the biggest challenge the justice system faces, including the courts, the state Department of Corrections, and the offices of public defenders and district attorneys. She is proud of the collaboration of justice system partners that has resulted in the creation of the drug treatment courts, and Milwaukee County’s healthy infant court, which she co-founded with Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Jane V. Carroll.
She is also proud of the work she did as a chief judge, along with her fellow chief judges, during the pandemic. It’s this kind of collaborative problem solving that she will miss most, but she is happy she will be able to continue to do this in her new position. She considers being able to work with people in the court system one of the “perks” of her new job. She praised the work of the court staff during the pandemic, who all worked together to keep the courts running. This resulted in the most significant change she has seen during her time on the bench, with the use of new technology, like Zoom and videoconferencing.
“Don’t be an island,” Triggiano advises new judges taking the bench. “You need to take care of yourself and your wellbeing matters. It affects how you judge from the bench.” Triggiano served as a member of the chief judges subcommittee on judicial wellbeing, and also advocated for the wellness of other court system staff.