Judge Juan B. Colás - Dane County Circuit Court
Judge Juan B. Colás
After 15 years on the Dane County Circuit Court Branch 10 bench, Judge Juan B. Colás will retire on December 17.
Colás was first appointed by then-Gov. Jim Doyle in 2008, and elected in 2009, 2015 and 2021. He had previously served as an assistant attorney general, assistant state public defender and legal counsel to former Gov. Anthony Earl.
“What I’ll miss most after retirement are the kids in my delinquency cases,” Colás said, adding that he will also miss the people he’s worked with over the years, including staff, judges, commissioners, and attorneys.
Colás has served as a member and vice-chair of the Planning and Policy Advisory Committee, as well as on the Juvenile Jury Instruction Committee and Judicial Education Committee. He has served on the Wisconsin Hispanic Lawyers Association, as an instructor for UW Law School’s Lawyering Skills Program, volunteer judge for the State Bar High School Mock Trial Tournament, and as a volunteer mentor for UW Law School’s Legal Education Opportunities Program.
Colás said he looks forward to spending more time with his wife, and having more flexibility to travel. He plans to continue his legal career through reserve judging, mediation and pro bono and low-fee work.
Judge Dale L. English - Fond du Lac County Circuit Court
Judge Dale L. English
Fond du Lac County Circuit Court Judge Dale L. English will retire on December 5. English has served on the Branch 1 bench since he was first elected in 1996. He has since been re-elected four times. Prior to his election to the bench, he worked in private practice.
“I am most proud of spearheading a successful effort to secure our courthouse,” English said of his time on the bench. “I am also proud of being involved in the development of a Teen Court program, which continues to operate today.”
English said the pandemic created the biggest challenges he had faced during his judicial career, from navigating the restrictions to reducing the resulting backlog.
“I am proud that my branch was able to conduct seven jury trials in 2020, once the moratorium on jury trials was ended for Fond du Lac County,” he said.
English has served as a member of the Judicial Conference Planning Committee, on the Fond du Lac County Task Force on Planning a Secure Juvenile Facility and the Fond du Lac County Teen Court Advisory Task Force.
In addition to the challenges of being a judge, English said he will also miss the people he has worked with over the years, who also became his friends.
“I have been blessed with the same clerk, Sue, for twenty-six years, along with several excellent court reporters during that time,” he said. “We always made an excellent team.” In his retirement, English plans to travel and do volunteer work.
Third Branch eNews is an online monthly newsletter of the Director of State Courts Office. If you are interested in contributing an article about your department’s programs or accomplishments, contact your department head. Information about judicial retirements and judicial obituaries may be submitted to: Sara.Foster@wicourts.gov