The Supreme Court a Guide to the Candidates and a Pending Constitutional Amendment
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Vol. 83, Number 2 | February 2015 What’s On The Ballot? The Supreme Court A Guide to the Candidates and a Pending Constitutional Amendment Voters will make two important decisions this spring affecting the Wisconsin Supreme Court. First, they will elect a supreme court justice to serve for the next ten years; Justice Ann Walsh Bradley is being challenged by Judge James P. Daley. Second, they will vote on a constitutional amendment that would change how the court’s chief justice is chosen. This report provides backgrounds on the candidates, in their own words, as well as arguments for and against the constitutional amendment. This April, voters will make two It wasn’t until 1852 that the state Composition and Selection decisions affecting the Wisconsin legislature voted to create a separate Composition. The court has Supreme Court. They will elect a supreme court, and in 1853, Wiscon- seven justices, each elected for a supreme court justice to serve for sin elected its fi rst justices. 10-year term. The table on page 2 the next ten years; either Justice SUPREME COURT lists the court’s current members, the Ann W. Bradley or Judge James year their tenures began, and when P. Daley (see page 5). They will The supreme court is the state’s their current terms end. highest court; that means for state also vote on a state constitutional The longest-serving justice issues, its rulings are fi nal. Almost amendment that would change the serves as chief justice, though that all of the court’s cases are appeals way the court’s chief justice is cho- could soon change (see page 7). from lower courts (typically, courts sen (see page 7). The current chief, Shirley Abraham- of appeals), but it can hear original Surprisingly, Wisconsin has not son, recently passed Orasmus Cole actions as well. always had a supreme court. When Wisconsin became the nation’s 30th In addition to ruling on cases, the Also in this issue: state in 1848, the constitutional Wisconsin Supreme Court adminis- convention simply preserved the ters the state judicial system. The Supreme Court Candidates (page existing territorial court system. court appoints the director of state 5) • Spring election: Constitutional The state’s circuit court judges met courts and directs the Board of Bar Amendment (page 7) • Cigarette in Madison each year to hear ap- Examiners, which regulates lawyers Smuggling • An Evolving Legisla- peals of their own decisions. in the state. ture • Manufacturing in Wisconsin wis tax A service of the Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance Table 1: Wisconsin’s Supreme Court Justices increased that number to fi ve, and another in 1903 raised it to the current seven. Tenure Term Term length has also changed over the years. Justice Began Ends Residence* Shirley S. Abrahamson 1976 2019 Madison Originally, justices served six-year terms. The 1877 Ann Walsh Bradley 1995 2015 Wausau amendment increased that to 10 years, the current term length. N. Patrick Crooks 1996 2016 Green Bay David T. Prosser 1998 2021 Appleton Terms for appointed justices have also increased. Patience D. Roggensack 2003 2023 Madison Originally, an appointed justice would serve until the Annette Kingsland Ziegler 2007 2017 West Bend next available spring election, and then, if elected, Michael J. Gableman 2008 2018 Webster would serve for the remainder of the retired justice’s *At time of fi rst election or appointment term. A 1953 amendment changed that so now ap- pointed justices stand for a full 10-year term. (1855-1892) as the longest serving supreme court 2013-14 Session Review justice. The Wisconsin Supreme Court has discretion Selection. Justices are elected in nonpartisan over which cases it hears. Four or more justices spring elections held on the fi rst Tuesday in April. must approve a petition for original jurisdiction in Terms begin in August following the election. If a case, and three or more justices are required to more than two candidates run, a primary election is grant appellate jurisdiction to review a decision of held on the third Tuesday in February. Elections are a lower court. staggered so that no two justices face reelection in Cases. By at least one metric, the 2013-14 the same year. session, which ran from September 2013 through If there is a midterm opening, the governor ap- August 2014, was unusually busy. The court re- points a replacement, who serves until the next avail- solved 122 cases, up from 98 in 2012-13. The court able spring election. For example, Governor James Doyle (D) appointed Louis Butler in 2004. Because seats for other justices were up for reelection in 2005, THE WISCONSIN 2006, and 2007, Butler did not stand for election until TAXPAYER 2008, when he was defeated. February 2015 Vol. 83 Number 2 Initial appointment to the bench, rather than Publication Number USPS 688-800 election, is rather common. Of 75 justices who have Periodical postage paid at Madison, Wisconsin served since 1853, 45 (60%) were fi rst appointed. Subscription Price: $17.97 per year However, only two current justices were initially ap- Published each month, except July, by the Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance, pointed: Shirley S. Abrahamson by Governor Patrick 401 North Lawn Avenue, Madison, Wisconsin 53704-5033 J. Lucey (D), and David T. Prosser, Jr. by Governor Postmaster: Send address changes to The Wisconsin Taxpayer, Tommy Thompson (R). 401 North Lawn Avenue, Madison, Wisconsin 53704-5033 Phone: 608.241.9789 Fax: 608.241.5807 Although supreme court justices have always been Email: [email protected] Website: www.wistax.org chosen by popular vote in Wisconsin, judicial elec- Officers and Board of Directors: T. L. Spero, Chair, Milwaukee; K. D. Nunley, Vice-Chair, Milwaukee; tions were not always nonpartisan. Political parties J. D. McGaffey, Secretary-Treasurer, Milwaukee. nominated the fi rst three justices in 1852, although J. L. Adams, Beloit; D. L. Hughes, Milwaukee; J. J. Kita, Milwaukee; the 1848 constitution prohibited judicial elections Carol Ward Knox, Fort Atkinson; R. A. Meeusen, Milwaukee; H. C. Newell, Mosinee; C. D. Fortner, Milwaukee; J. R. Riordan, Madison; from being held within 30 days of any state general C. A. Rooks, Milwaukee; D. R. Schuh, Stevens Point; M. D. Simmer, election. It wasn’t until 1913 that nonpartisan election Green Bay. was written into law, but the fi rst nonpartisan election Staff: Todd A. Berry, President; Dale Knapp, Research Director; Melissa occurred 35 years before in 1878. Minkoff, Executive Assistant; Stephanie Rubin, Research Analyst; Gina Staskal, Business Manager. Size and Tenure Reproduction: Wisconsin’s fi rst supreme court had only three Media is encouraged to quote contents, with credit to WISTAX. Electronic reproduction or forwarding is prohibited unless prior justices. A constitutional amendment adopted in 1877 permission is granted. Send requests to [email protected]. Page 2 The Wisconsin Taxpayer averaged 96 cases per year between 2008-09 and Figure 1: 2012-13. Figure 1 shows that, compared to the prior Opinions Issued by the Wisconsin Supreme Court 2010-11 Through 2013-14 session, the court resolved more attorney discipline cases (52 vs. 42), civil cases (39 vs. 31), and criminal cases (30 vs. 25). When the court resolves a case, a justice is usually charged with authoring a majority opinion, which sets forth the decision of the court and often explains the rationale behind it. These are assigned at random. Justices that disagree with court decisions may author dissenting opinions at will. Authorship of majority opinions (61 total) was distributed fairly evenly among the justices, with Justice Abrahamson writing the fewest (7) and Justice Roggensack (11) the most. However, the majority of dissenting opinions (52 total) were written by either $WWRUQH\'LVFLSOLQH &LYLO&DVHV &ULPLQDO&DVHV Justice Abrahamson (26) or Justice Bradley (11). Petitions for Review. Every term, the supreme court receives petitions to review previous rulings ISSUES of the court of appeals. The supreme court does not The rules and operating methods of state supreme have to grant these and, as a result, reviews only a courts are not uniform across the country. In some small share of such cases each term. Additionally, cases, the traditions of the Wisconsin Supreme Court many petitions fi led in a given term are not considered stray from national norms, leading some to wonder until the next term. whether or not judicial reform is necessary. During 2013-14, 792 petitions for review were Selection fi led: 381 civil cases and 411 criminal cases. Over Although supreme court justices are elected in the course of the term, however, the court disposed Wisconsin, they are chosen by a variety of methods of 860 petitions, but granted only 65. By the end of in other states. Which is “best” is a matter for debate. the term, 295 petitions were still pending. By State. Most states select justices in one of three Other Petitions and Requests. In addition to ways: gubernatorial appointment, popular election, or reviewing past rulings, the supreme court can also legislative election (see Table 2 on page 4). exercise authority in cases currently being heard or Gubernatorial appointment is the most popular yet to be heard in a lower court. These are known selection method, currently used in 26 states. In as petitions for bypass and requests for certifi cation, 22 of these states, the governor makes his or her respectively. selection from the recommendations of a nonpar- The court received 24 petitions for bypass, re- tisan commission which recruits, investigates, and questing it take jurisdiction of a proceeding in the evaluates applicants for judgeships. In 13 states, court of appeals. In 2013-14, the supreme court dis- the governor’s selection requires confi rmation by posed of 16 but granted none of these petitions.