Courts in Wisconsin
| More information on Wisconsin's state courts: |
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| Selection methods Elections Salaries Federal courts |
In Wisconsin, there are two federal district courts, a state supreme court, a state court of appeals, and trial courts with both general and limited jurisdiction. These courts serve different purposes, which are outlined in the sections below.
Click a link for information about that court type.
The image below depicts the flow of cases through Wisconsin's state court system. Cases typically originate in the trial courts and can be appealed to courts higher up in the system.
Judicial selection process
- See also: Wisconsin judicial elections
The seven justices of the Wisconsin Supreme Court, 16 judges of the Wisconsin Court of Appeals and 249 judges of the Wisconsin Circuit Courts are elected in nonpartisan elections. Supreme court justices serve 10-year terms and the others serve six-year terms. All judges must run for re-election if they wish to remain on the court after their term expires.
To read more about judicial elections in Wisconsin, click here.
Federal courts
The federal district courts in Wisconsin are the:
Appeals go to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit.
Active judges
Eastern district
| Judge | Appointed By | Assumed Office | Bachelors | Law |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 1, 1987 - |
Marquette University, 1964 |
Marquette University Law School, 1967 |
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| December 23, 1997 - |
Princeton University, 1961 |
Columbia Law School, 1965 |
||
| December 8, 2014 - |
Northwestern University, 1986 |
Cornell Law, 1989 |
||
| September 10, 2020 - |
University of Wisconsin, Stevens Point, 1991 |
University of Minnesota Law School, 1994 |
||
| November 4, 2024 - |
University of Florida and Santa Clara University, 1998 |
Marquette University Law School, 2002 |
Below is a display of the number of active judges by the party of the appointing president. It does not reflect how a judge may rule on specific cases or their own political preferences.
- Democrat appointed: 3
- Republican appointed: 2
Western district
| Judge | Appointed By | Assumed Office | Bachelors | Law |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 25, 2010 - |
University of Wisconsin, 1978 |
University of Wisconsin Law School, 1982 |
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| May 12, 2014 - |
University of Wisconsin, 1979 |
University of Wisconsin Law School, 1998 |
The list below displays the number of active judges by the party of the appointing president. It does not reflect how a judge may rule on specific cases or their own political preferences.
- Democrat appointed: 2
- Republican appointed: 0
District map
Judicial selection
Judges who sit on the federal district courts are nominated by the president of the United States and confirmed by the United States Senate. These judges serve life terms. To read more about the judges on these courts, click here.
Bankruptcy courts
There are two federal bankruptcy courts in Wisconsin. These courts have subject-matter jurisdiction over bankruptcy cases. The federal bankruptcy courts in Wisconsin are:
State supreme court
- See also: Wisconsin Supreme Court
The Wisconsin Supreme Court is the state's court of last resort and has seven judgeships. It has discretionary appellate jurisdiction and administrative authority over the rest of the court system. The supreme court can also hear original cases.[2][3] Most commonly, the supreme court reviews cases that were appealed from the court of appeals.[4]
The following judges sit on the court:
| Office | Name | Party | Date assumed office |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wisconsin Supreme Court | Ann Walsh Bradley | Nonpartisan | August 1, 1995 |
| Wisconsin Supreme Court | Rebecca Bradley | Nonpartisan | October 12, 2015 |
| Wisconsin Supreme Court | Rebecca Dallet | Nonpartisan | August 1, 2018 |
| Wisconsin Supreme Court | Brian Hagedorn | Nonpartisan | August 1, 2019 |
| Wisconsin Supreme Court | Jill Karofsky | Nonpartisan | August 1, 2020 |
| Wisconsin Supreme Court | Janet Claire Protasiewicz | Nonpartisan | August 1, 2023 |
| Wisconsin Supreme Court | Annette Ziegler | Nonpartisan | August 1, 2007 |
State court of appeals
- See also: Wisconsin Court of Appeals
The Wisconsin Court of Appeals is the intermediate appellate court in Wisconsin. Unlike the supreme court, the court of appeals has principally mandatory jurisdiction, so it cannot select which appeals it hears.[2][5] The primary function of the Wisconsin Court of Appeals is to correct errors from circuit court cases. Court of appeals opinions become binding precedent unless the Wisconsin Supreme Court overrules them.[6]
Trial courts
Circuit Courts
- See also: Wisconsin Circuit Courts
The circuit courts are Wisconsin's trial courts with original jurisdiction over civil and criminal cases. These courts are divided into branches. There are 249 circuit judges throughout the state and, except for six counties that share branches between counties, each county has at least one branch. While the state is divided into nine administrative districts, judges are elected on a county-by-county basis.[2][7]
Municipal Courts
- See also: Wisconsin Municipal Courts
Many communities, by local option, have created a municipal court to handle non-criminal traffic and municipal ordinance matters.[2][8]
In other states
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ FindLaw.com, "List of U.S. Bankruptcy Courts"
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Wisconsin Court System, "Court system overview," accessed March 29, 2021
- ↑ Wisconsin Court System, "Supreme Court: Overview," accessed March 29, 2021
- ↑ Wisconsin Blue Book, "Supreme Court," 2005-2006
- ↑ Wisconsin Court System, "Court of Appeals: Overview," accessed March 29, 2021'
- ↑ Wisconsin Court System, "Court of Appeals: Function," accessed March 29, 2021
- ↑ Wisconsin Court System, "Circuit courts: Function and overview," accessed March 29, 2021
- ↑ Wisconsin Court System, "Municipal courts: Overview," accessed March 29, 2021
Federal courts:
Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: Eastern District of Wisconsin, Western District of Wisconsin • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: Eastern District of Wisconsin, Western District of Wisconsin
State courts:
Wisconsin Supreme Court • Wisconsin Court of Appeals • Wisconsin Circuit Courts • Wisconsin Municipal Courts
State resources:
Courts in Wisconsin • Wisconsin judicial elections • Judicial selection in Wisconsin
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