2003 WI 96

 

 

 

Supreme Court of Wisconsin

 

 

 

 

 

Case No.:

01-2649

 

 

Complete Title:

 

 

Martin G. Wenke and Dakota M. Wenke, a minor, by his Guardian ad Litem, Lynn R. Laufenberg,

     Plaintiffs-Appellants,

     v.

Gehl Company, a Wisconsin corporation,

     Defendant-Respondent.

 

 

 

 

ON CERTIFICATION FROM THE COURT OF APPEALS

 

 

Opinion Filed:

July 8, 2003 

Submitted on Briefs:

      

Oral Argument:

January 16, 2003 

 

 

Source of Appeal:

 

 

Court:

Circuit 

 

County:

Washington 

 

Judge:

Patrick J. Faragher 

 

 

 

Justices:

 

 

Concurred:

      

 

Dissented:

      

 

Not Participating:

WILCOX, J., did not participate. 

 

 

 

Attorneys:

 

For the plaintiffs-appellants there were briefs by Michael L. Laufenberg, Lynn R. Laufenberg and Laufenberg & Hoefle, S.C., Milwaukee, and oral argument by Lynn R. Laufenberg.

 

For the defendant-respondent there was a brief by Francis H. LoCoco, Daniel J. La Fave and Quarles & Brady LLP, Milwaukee, and oral argument by Francis H. LoCoco.

 

An amicus curiae brief was filed by Ralph A. Weber, Beth Ermatinger Hanan, and Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren, S.C., Milwaukee, on behalf of the Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce.

 

An amicus curiae brief was filed by William C. Gleisner, III, Madison, and David M. Skoglind and Aiken & Scoptur, S.C., Milwaukee, on behalf of the Wisconsin Academy of Trial Lawyers.

 

 

2003 WI 96

notice

This opinion is subject to further editing and modification.  The final version will appear in the bound volume of the official reports. 

No.  01-2649  

(L.C. No.

99 CV 0431)

STATE OF WISCONSIN                  :

IN SUPREME COURT

 

 

Martin G. Wenke and Dakota M. Wenke, a

minor, by his Guardian ad Litem, Lynn R.

Laufenberg,

 

          Plaintiffs-Appellants,

 

     v.

 

Gehl Company, a Wisconsin corporation,

 

          Defendant-Respondent.

 

FILED

 

JUL 8, 2003

 

Cornelia G. Clark

Clerk of Supreme Court

 

 

 

 

 

APPEAL from a judgment of the Circuit Court for Washington County, Patrick J. Faragher, Judge.  Order granting certification vacated and cause remanded to the Court of Appeals. 

 

1     PER CURIAM.  The court is equally divided on whether to affirm or reverse the judgment of the circuit court.  Justice N. Patrick Crooks, Justice David T. Prosser, Jr., and Justice Diane S. Sykes would affirm.  Chief Justice Shirley S. Abrahamson, Justice William A. Bablitch, and Justice Ann Walsh Bradley would reverse.  Justice Jon P. Wilcox did not participate.

2     When a certification or bypass results in a tie vote by this court, the better course of action is to vacate our decision to accept certification or bypass and remand the cause to the court of appeals.  State v. Richard Knutson, Inc., 191 Wis. 2d 395, 396-97, 528 N.W.2d 430 (1995) (remanding to court of appeals on a tie vote on certification); State v. Elam, 195 Wis. 2d 683, 684-85, 538 N.W.2d 249 (1995) (restating rule but declining to remand to court of appeals on a tie vote on bypass because court of appeals had previously decided issue).

3     Accordingly, we vacate our order granting certification and remand to the court of appeals.

By the Court.—The Order granting certification is vacated and the cause is remanded to the court of appeals.