Wisconsin Court of Appeals

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The Wisconsin Court of Appeals is the state's intermediate appellate court. It was founded in 1978. The court is composed of 16 judges from four districts, headquartered in Milwaukee, Waukesha, Wausau, and Madison. The judges are elected to six-year terms in district-wide, nonpartisan April elections. Vacancies are filled by gubernatorial appointment, and a new appointee is required to stand for election to a full six-year term the following spring.^[1][2]

Functions[edit]

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.^[3]

Judges of the Court of Appeals sit in three-judge panels for most appeals. Some cases are decided by a single judge, however: small claims actions, municipal ordinance violations, traffic regulation violations, mental health, juvenile, contempt, and misdemeanor cases.^[3]

The Court of Appeals makes decisions based on circuit court records and the written briefs of the parties, only hearing oral arguments when the judges think it will help their decision. While the Court of Appeals issues a written decision in every case, it has a publication committee to determine which decisions are published. Only published opinions have precedential authority.^[3]

Published opinions of the Wisconsin Court of Appeals can be found here.

Districts[edit]

District	Seat	Counties served
District I	Milwaukee	Milwaukee County
District II	Waukesha	Calumet, Fond du Lac, Green Lake, Kenosha, Manitowoc, Ozaukee, Racine, Sheboygan, Walworth, Washington, Waukesha and Winnebago counties
District III	Wausau	Ashland, Barron, Bayfield, Brown, Buffalo, Burnett, Chippewa, Door, Douglas, Dunn, Eau Claire, Florence, Forest, Iron, Kewaunee, Langlade, Lincoln, Marathon, Marinette, Menominee, Oconto, Oneida, Outagamie, Pepin, Pierce, Polk, Price, Rusk, Sawyer, Shawano, St. Croix, Taylor, Trempealeau, Vilas and Washburn counties
District IV	Madison	Adams, Clark, Columbia, Crawford, Dane, Dodge, Grant, Green, Iowa, Jackson, Jefferson, Juneau, La Crosse, Lafayette, Marquette, Monroe, Portage, Richland, Rock, Sauk, Vernon, Waupaca, Waushara and Wood counties

Judges[edit]

District I

Judge	Tenure	Appointed By
Martin Joseph Donald	September 6, 2019 - Present	Tony Evers
William Brash	December 11, 2015 - Present	Scott Walker
Timothy G. Dugan	December 11, 2016 - Present	Scott Walker
Maxine A. White	February 7, 2020 - Present	Tony Evers

District II

Judge	Tenure	Appointed By
Mark Gundrum	November 30, 2011 - Present	Scott Walker
Paul F. Reilly	August 1, 2010 - Present	Elected
Shelley Grogan	August 1, 2021 - Present	Elected
Lisa Neubauer	January 7, 2008 - Present	James Doyle

District III

Judge	Tenure	Appointed By
Lisa Kay Stark	April 23, 2013 - Present	Scott Walker
Thomas M. Hruz	August 1, 2014 - Present	Scott Walker
Greg Gill Jr.	August 1, 2021 - Present	Elected

District IV

Judge	Tenure	Appointed By
Michael Fitzpatrick	August 1, 2017 - Present	Elected
Jennifer Nashold	August 1, 2019 - Present	Elected
JoAnne Kloppenburg	August 1, 2012 - Present	Elected
Brian Blanchard	August 1, 2010 - Present	Elected
Rachel Graham	July 4, 2019 - Present	Tony Evers

Former judges

• Daniel Anderson
• Rebecca Bradley
• Richard Brown
• Edward Brunner
• Ralph Adam Fine
• Michael Hoover
• Mark Mangerson
• Gregory Peterson
• Gary Sherman

Judicial selection[edit]

See also Judicial selection in Wisconsin

Court of Appeals judges are elected to six-year terms in nonpartisan elections. If more than two judges are running, they compete in a nonpartisan primary. In case of a vacancy, the governor selects an interim judge. Interim judges must stand for re-election in the next spring election in which no other judge from that district is up for election.^[4]

The governor of Wisconsin screens judicial applicants using an advisory council on judicial selection. The council recommends three to five candidates to him, although he is not bound by their recommendations.^[4]

The Wisconsin Supreme Court appoints the chief judge of the court of appeals. The chief judge handles administrative matters for the entire court of appeals while continuing to participate fully in deciding cases. The chief judge's term lasts three years.^[2][5]

Each of the four districts of the court of appeals is managed by a presiding judge, appointed by the chief judge of the court of appeals. The presiding judges take on these additional duties for two-year terms.^[2][5]

Qualifications[edit]

To be a judge on the Wisconsin Court of Appeals, one must be a qualified elector of Wisconsin and must have been licensed to practice law in the state for at least five years prior to election or appointment. The Wisconsin Constitution authorizes the legislature to impose a mandatory retirement age, but it has never done so.^[4]

Salary[edit]

In 2014, the salary of intermediate appellate court judges in Wisconsin was set to $139,059.^[6]

Elections[edit]

2021[edit]

See also: Wisconsin intermediate appellate court elections, 2021

The terms of three Wisconsin Court of Appeals judges expired on July 31, 2021. Judges Jeffrey Davis, Mark A. Seidl, and Maxine White had to run in a nonpartisan election on April 6, 2021, to remain on the bench. A primary was scheduled for February 16, 2021. A full term on the court is six years.

District 1[edit]

General election candidates

• Maxine A. White  (Incumbent) (Nonpartisan) ✔

Primary candidates

This primary was canceled and this candidate advanced:

• Maxine A. White  (Incumbent) (Nonpartisan) ✔

District 2[edit]

General election candidates

• Jeffrey Davis  (Incumbent) (Nonpartisan)
• Shelley Grogan  (Nonpartisan) ✔

Primary candidates

This primary was canceled and these candidates advanced:

• Jeffrey Davis  (Incumbent) (Nonpartisan) ✔
• Shelley Grogan  (Nonpartisan) ✔

District 3[edit]

General election candidates

• Rick Cveykus  (Nonpartisan)
• Greg Gill Jr.  (Nonpartisan) ✔

Primary candidates

This primary was canceled and these candidates advanced:

• Rick Cveykus  (Nonpartisan) ✔
• Greg Gill Jr.  (Nonpartisan) ✔

2020[edit]

See also: Wisconsin intermediate appellate court elections, 2020

The terms of three Wisconsin Court of Appeals justices expired on July 31, 2020. The three seats were up for nonpartisan election on April 7, 2020. A primary was scheduled for February 18, 2020. A full term on the court is six years.

District 1[edit]

District 2[edit]

District 4[edit]

2019[edit]

See also: Wisconsin intermediate appellate court elections, 2019

District II[edit]

District III[edit]

District IV[edit]

2018[edit]

See also: Wisconsin intermediate appellate court elections, 2018

District I[edit]

District IV[edit]

2017[edit]

Candidates[edit]

District I[edit] ■ William Brash (Incumbent/Unopposed) District II[edit] ■ Brian Hagedorn (Incumbent/Unopposed)

District III[edit] No judges in District III have terms expiring in 2017. District IV[edit] Judge Paul Higginbotham declined to run for re-election even though his term expires in 2017.[7] ■ Michael R. Fitzpatrick (Unopposed)

2016[edit]

See also: Wisconsin judicial elections, 2016

Wisconsin Court of Appeals, First District, Joan Kessler's Seat, 2016
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Joan Kessler Incumbent (unopposed)	98.77%	175,733
Write-in votes	1.23%	2,189
Total Votes (100% Reporting)		177,922
Source: Wisconsin Government Accountability Board Official Results

Wisconsin Court of Appeals, Second District, Paul Reilly's Seat, 2016
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Paul Reilly Incumbent (unopposed)	99.49%	388,214
Write-in votes	0.51%	2,008
Total Votes (100% Reporting)		390,222
Source: Wisconsin Government Accountability Board Official Results

Wisconsin Court of Appeals, Third District, Thomas Hruz's Seat, 2016
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Thomas M. Hruz Incumbent (unopposed)	99.62%	364,032
Write-in votes	0.38%	1,393
Total Votes (100% Reporting)		365,425
Source: Wisconsin Government Accountability Board Official Results

Wisconsin Court of Appeals, Fourth District, Brian Blanchard's Seat, 2016
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Brian Blanchard Incumbent (unopposed)	99.43%	407,280
Write-in votes	0.57%	2,351
Total Votes (100% Reporting)		409,631
Source: Wisconsin Government Accountability Board Official Results

2013[edit]

See also: Wisconsin judicial elections, 2013

Court of Appeals District II[edit]

Candidate	Incumbency	Position	Primary Vote	Election Vote
GundrumMark GundrumA	Yes	District II		99.55%   A

Court of Appeals District III[edit]

Candidate	Incumbency	Position	Primary Vote	Election Vote
StarkLisa StarkA	No	District III		99.6%   A

Court of Appeals District IV[edit]

Candidate	Incumbency	Position	Primary Vote	Election Vote
LundstenPaul LundstenA	Yes	District IV		99.55%   A

2012[edit]

Court of Appeals District I[edit]

Candidate	Incumbency	Position	Primary Vote	Election Vote
FineRalph Adam Fine   A	Yes	District I	n/a	100%   A

Court of Appeals District II[edit]

Candidate	Incumbency	Position	Primary Vote	Election Vote
BrownRichard Brown (Wisconsin)   A	Yes	District II	n/a	100%   A

Court of Appeals District III[edit]

Candidate	Incumbency	Position	Primary Vote	Election Vote
MangersonMark Mangerson   A	Yes	District III	n/a	100%   A

Court of Appeals District IV[edit]

Candidate	Incumbency	Position	Primary Vote	Election Vote
KloppenburgJoAnne Kloppenburg   A	No	District IV	n/a	100%   A

2011[edit]

Court of Appeals District III[edit]

The following is a list of candidates for the Court of Appeals District III 2011 election:

Candidate	Incumbency	Position	Primary Vote	Election Vote
PetersonGregory Peterson   A	Yes	District III		A

Court of Appeals District IV[edit]

The following is a list of candidates for the Court of Appeals District IV 2011 election:

Candidate	Incumbency	Position	Primary Vote	Election Vote
KloppenburgJoAnne Kloppenburg	No	District IV		49.70%   A
HigginbothamPaul Higginbotham   A	Yes			A

Ethics[edit]

The Wisconsin Code of Judicial Conduct sets forth ethical guidelines and principles for the conduct of judges and judicial candidates in Wisconsin. It consists of seven Supreme Court Rules:

• Rule 60.01: Definitions.
• Rule 60.02: A judge shall uphold the integrity and independence of the judiciary.
• Rule 60.03: A judge shall avoid impropriety and the appearance of impropriety in all of the judge's activities.
• Rule 60.04: A judge shall perform the duties of judicial office impartially and diligently.
• Rule 60.05: A judge shall so conduct the judge's extra-judicial activities as to minimize the risk of conflict with judicial obligations.
• Rule 60.06: A judge or judicial candidate shall refrain from inappropriate political activity.
• Rule 60.07: Applicability.^[8]

The full text of the Wisconsin Code of Judicial Conduct can be found here.

Removal of judges[edit]

Court of Appeals judges in Wisconsin may be removed in one of four ways:

• By the Supreme Court, on the recommendation of the Wisconsin Judicial Commission.
• By a two-thirds vote of the Senate, upon impeachment by a majority vote of the Assembly.
• By the governor, upon address of both houses of the legislature with concurrence of two thirds of each house.
• By the voters through a recall election.^[9]

State profile[edit]

Demographic data for Wisconsin
	Wisconsin	U.S.
Total population:	5,767,891	316,515,021
Land area (sq mi):	54,158	3,531,905
Race and ethnicity**
White:	86.5%	73.6%
Black/African American:	6.3%	12.6%
Asian:	2.5%	5.1%
Native American:	0.9%	0.8%
Pacific Islander:	0%	0.2%
Two or more:	2.1%	3%
Hispanic/Latino:	6.3%	17.1%
Education
High school graduation rate:	91%	86.7%
College graduation rate:	27.8%	29.8%
Income
Median household income:	$53,357	$53,889
Persons below poverty level:	15%	11.3%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015) Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Wisconsin. **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.

Presidential voting pattern[edit]

See also: Presidential voting trends in Wisconsin

Wisconsin voted for the Democratic candidate in four out of the five presidential elections between 2000 and 2016.

Pivot Counties (2016)

Ballotpedia identified 206 counties that voted for Donald Trump (R) in 2016 after voting for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012. Collectively, Trump won these Pivot Counties by more than 580,000 votes. Of these 206 counties, 23 are located in Wisconsin, accounting for 11.17 percent of the total pivot counties.^[10]

Pivot Counties (2020)

In 2020, Ballotpedia re-examined the 206 Pivot Counties to view their voting patterns following that year's presidential election. Ballotpedia defined those won by Trump won as Retained Pivot Counties and those won by Joe Biden (D) as Boomerang Pivot Counties. Nationwide, there were 181 Retained Pivot Counties and 25 Boomerang Pivot Counties. Wisconsin had 21 Retained Pivot Counties and two Boomerang Pivot Counties, accounting for 11.60 and 8.00 percent of all Retained and Boomerang Pivot Counties, respectively.

More Wisconsin coverage on Ballotpedia

• Elections in Wisconsin
• United States congressional delegations from Wisconsin
• Public policy in Wisconsin
• Influencers in Wisconsin
• Wisconsin fact checks
• More...

Recent news[edit]

The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Wisconsin Court Appeals. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.

See also[edit]

Wisconsin	Judicial Selection	More Courts
Courts in Wisconsin Wisconsin Court of Appeals Wisconsin Supreme Court	Elections: 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 Gubernatorial appointments Judicial selection in Wisconsin	Federal courts State courts Local courts

External links[edit]

• Wisconsin Court System, "Court of Appeals"
• Wisconsin Court System, "Court of Appeals: Judges"

Footnotes[edit]

v • e Wisconsin Court of Appeals Judicial selection in Wisconsin • 2021 elections • 2020 elections • Wisconsin Supreme Court
District I:	William Brash  •  Martin Joseph Donald  •  Timothy Dugan  •  Maxine White  •
District II:	Lisa Neubauer  •  Paul Reilly  •  Mark Gundrum  •  Shelley Grogan  •
District III:	Lisa Stark  •  Gregory Gill, Jr.  •  Thomas M. Hruz  •
District IV:	Michael R. Fitzpatrick  •  Brian Blanchard  •  JoAnne Kloppenburg  •  Jennifer Nashold  •  Rachel Graham  •

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