New state Supreme Court poll finds Burns leading the race

A poll conducted for Tim Burns’ state Supreme Court campaign found the Middleton attorney leading the three-person race after candidate bio information was read to respondents. When first asked about the race, 7 percent backed Burns, 7 percent favored Milwaukee Judge Rebecca Dallet and 4 percent backed Sauk County Judge Michael Screnock. That left 82 percent undecided, according to a memo on the m… Please log in to access subscriber content. If you don’t have a subscription, click here for a WisPolitics free trial and to view the different subscription options. Username or E-mail Password * Remember Me    

Read More »

Oral arguments in open records case heard before state Supreme Court

Conservative state Supreme Court justices today peppered a Madison teacher union’s attorney with questions on whether the release of certain voting-related records could have led to voter intimidation or coercion. But union attorney Susan Crawford largely countered the case was a matter of public records law and election oversight, arguing the alleged harm that could have stemmed from their releas… Please log in to access subscriber content. If you don’t have a subscription, click here for a WisPolitics free trial and to view the different subscription options.

Read More »

Source: Gableman being vetted for possible job in Trump admin

State Supreme Court Justice Michael Gableman is being vetted for a possible job in the Trump administration, a source confirmed today. The source said the vetting process began before Gableman announced earlier this year he would not seek re-election. The source declined to provide details on what post Gableman may be appointed to other than saying it was not a judgeship. The Journal Sentinel firs… Please log in to access subscriber content. If you don’t have a subscription, click here for a WisPolitics free trial and to view the different subscription options.

Read More »

Solicitor general touts office after first full state, national Supreme Court terms

Solicitor General Misha Tseytlin said he’s impressed by the work his office has done over the past year-and-a-half, which has included going 9-0 in criminal cases at the state Supreme Court. Tseytlin, who’s been in the state Department of Justice post since December 2015, this month saw the conclusion of his first full court terms for the state and national Supreme Courts as Wisconsin’s first soli… Please log in to access subscriber content. If you don’t have a subscription, click here for a WisPolitics free trial and to view the different subscription options.

Read More »

Political donation, receipt history shows contrast between Burns, Dallet

A WisPolitics.com review of Supreme Court candidate Rebecca Dallet’s biggest donors show many of them have given to Democrats or liberal candidates, though several also gave money to Republicans and conservatives. Meanwhile, Tim Burns, a Madison attorney who’s made the case that he’s an unabashed progressive, has given more than $40,000 solely to Dems and liberal candidates since 2008. The two hav… Please log in to access subscriber content. If you don’t have a subscription, click here for a WisPolitics free trial and to view the different subscription options.

Read More »

Ethics Commission failed to properly post Burns’ campaign committee notice

The state Ethics Commission acknowledged today it failed to properly post Tim Burns’ campaign committee registration online, despite the Supreme Court candidate giving the agency the information on time. The issue had prompted a complaint yesterday from the state GOP against the Supreme Court candidate, alleging the Madison attorney broke state law by raising campaign funds without registering a c… Please log in to access subscriber content. If you don’t have a subscription, click here for a WisPolitics free trial and to view the different subscription options.

Read More »

Dem Party chair hopefuls differ on organizing approach, view of party’s shortcomings

The four candidates for state Democratic Party chair all have different views on how the party should be organized coming off of a crushing 2016 general election. While they differ on whether the state should employ a bottom-up versus top-down approach, or some kind of mix, they all agree that what was in place last fall didn’t work for Democrats. WisPolitics.com interviewed the candidates vying f… Please log in to access subscriber content. If you don’t have a subscription, click here for a WisPolitics free trial and to view the different subscription options.

Read More »

No recent donations would have triggered proposed Supreme Court recusal rule

Backers of a proposal to require justices to step off cases if the parties involved donated $10,000 or more in their races argued it would increase the public’s confidence in the court through transparency and accountability. But a WisPolitics.com check found no individual donations of $10,000 or more in recent years that would have triggered the proposed rule, which the court’s conservative major… Please log in to access subscriber content. If you don’t have a subscription, click here for a WisPolitics free trial and to view the different subscription options.

Read More »

Peg Lautenschlager: Op-ed misconstrues Supreme Court’s ruling on judicial campaign cash

The column below reflects the views of the author, and these opinions are neither endorsed nor supported by WisOpinion.com. Rick Esenberg’s recent op-ed in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, “State Supreme Court was Right to Reject Change in Recusal Rules,” argues that judges’ campaign donors essentially have a right to have their cases heard by judges to whom they’ve contributed. He argues that recusal requirements triggered by campaign donations would interfere with donors’ First Amendment speech rights. The op-ed praised the state’s high court for rejecting even a public hearing on a petition from 56 retired judges, who wanted the court

Read More »

Attorneys hired by GOP leaders for redistricting lawsuit have charged $41K so far

The attorneys hired by GOP leaders to represent the Legislature in the redistricting lawsuit have charged $41,470 for their legal work so far, according to documents released to WisPolitics.com through an open records request. Still, the lead firm on the case, which could make up to $175,000 for its efforts, had yet to submit a legal bill to lawmakers as of this morning. Dems on the Joint Finance … Please log in to access subscriber content. If you don’t have a subscription, click here for a WisPolitics free trial and to view the different subscription options.

Read More »

Campaign: Ziegler returning leftover campaign funds to donors

Justice Annette Ziegler’s campaign sent letters to donors this week offering to refund 70 percent of their contributions after she failed to draw an opponent for this spring’s election. Ziegler raised $379,322 through March 20 and spent $95,237, about 25 percent of what she took in. Ziegler adviser Mark Graul said the campaign expects to spend about 30 percent of what it raised by the time the fin… Please log in to access subscriber content. If you don’t have a subscription, click here for a WisPolitics free trial and to view the different subscription options.

Read More »

State Supreme Court rejects petition to change recusal rules

The state Supreme Court has rejected a petition from 54 retired judges and justices to change its recusal rules, with the conservative majority voting to keep the current standards in place. Justice Annette Ziegler, who made a motion to dismiss the petition, said the proposed rule changes wouldn’t stand constitutional scrutiny and do not “comport” with her views of the constitution. Meanwhile, fel… Please log in to access subscriber content. If you don’t have a subscription, click here for a WisPolitics free trial and to view the different subscription options.

Read More »

Roggensack re-elected as Supreme Court chief justice

Pat Roggensack was re-elected to a second term as state Supreme Court chief justice today, following a 2015 constitutional amendment that lets justices choose who fills the top post. Before the amendment, that spot went automatically to the longest serving member of the court. Currently, that’s Justice Shirley Abrahamson, who held the position from 1996 to 2015. But after the amendment’s passage, … Please log in to access subscriber content. If you don’t have a subscription, click here for a WisPolitics free trial and to view the different subscription options.

Read More »

Former Supreme Court justices against proposal to overhaul recusal rules

Two former conservative justices are among 11 retired members of the judiciary urging the Supreme Court to reject a proposal to overhaul recusal rules. Fifty-four retired judges filed a petition with the court in January asking the justices to establish an “objective standard” for when judges must step off a case after receiving a campaign contribution from a party involved. It also calls for the … Please log in to access subscriber content. If you don’t have a subscription, click here for a WisPolitics free trial and to view the different subscription options.

Read More »

State Supreme Court deadlocks on limited liability case

The state Supreme Court today deadlocked 3-3 in a case that was expected to clarify the rights and obligations limited liability members have to each other under Wisconsin law. But the court did not identify how the participating justices voted, something Justice Shirley Abrahamson wrote has not happened since 1979. Abrahamson, in a concurring opinion, listed 115 tie votes between 1885 and 2016 in… Please log in to access subscriber content. If you don’t have a subscription, click here for a WisPolitics free trial and to view the different subscription options.

Read More »

New state Supreme Court poll finds Burns leading the race

A poll conducted for Tim Burns’ state Supreme Court campaign found the Middleton attorney leading the three-person race after candidate bio information was read to respondents. When first asked about the race, 7 percent backed Burns, 7 percent favored Milwaukee Judge Rebecca Dallet and 4 percent backed Sauk County Judge

Read More »

Oral arguments in open records case heard before state Supreme Court

Conservative state Supreme Court justices today peppered a Madison teacher union’s attorney with questions on whether the release of certain voting-related records could have led to voter intimidation or coercion. But union attorney Susan Crawford largely countered the case was a matter of public records law and election oversight, arguing

Read More »

Source: Gableman being vetted for possible job in Trump admin

State Supreme Court Justice Michael Gableman is being vetted for a possible job in the Trump administration, a source confirmed today. The source said the vetting process began before Gableman announced earlier this year he would not seek re-election. The source declined to provide details on what post Gableman may

Read More »

Political donation, receipt history shows contrast between Burns, Dallet

A WisPolitics.com review of Supreme Court candidate Rebecca Dallet’s biggest donors show many of them have given to Democrats or liberal candidates, though several also gave money to Republicans and conservatives. Meanwhile, Tim Burns, a Madison attorney who’s made the case that he’s an unabashed progressive, has given more than

Read More »

Campaign: Ziegler returning leftover campaign funds to donors

Justice Annette Ziegler’s campaign sent letters to donors this week offering to refund 70 percent of their contributions after she failed to draw an opponent for this spring’s election. Ziegler raised $379,322 through March 20 and spent $95,237, about 25 percent of what she took in. Ziegler adviser Mark Graul

Read More »

State Supreme Court rejects petition to change recusal rules

The state Supreme Court has rejected a petition from 54 retired judges and justices to change its recusal rules, with the conservative majority voting to keep the current standards in place. Justice Annette Ziegler, who made a motion to dismiss the petition, said the proposed rule changes wouldn’t stand constitutional

Read More »

Roggensack re-elected as Supreme Court chief justice

Pat Roggensack was re-elected to a second term as state Supreme Court chief justice today, following a 2015 constitutional amendment that lets justices choose who fills the top post. Before the amendment, that spot went automatically to the longest serving member of the court. Currently, that’s Justice Shirley Abrahamson, who

Read More »

State Supreme Court deadlocks on limited liability case

The state Supreme Court today deadlocked 3-3 in a case that was expected to clarify the rights and obligations limited liability members have to each other under Wisconsin law. But the court did not identify how the participating justices voted, something Justice Shirley Abrahamson wrote has not happened since 1979.

Read More »