In Jefferson County, Branch 1 incumbent Will Gruber is challenged by attorney John Jack A. Chavez. The election is April 1.Gruber was appointed to Jefferson County Circuit Court by then-Gov. Scott Walker in 2018 and won election to a full term in 2019. He previously was the city attorney for Watertown, assistant corporation counsel for Dodge County, and an attorney in private practice. He graduated from Marquette University Law School in 2004. His resume is here.Chavez is an attorney at Cha ..read more

By Margo KirchnerComments by Justice Rebecca Grassl Bradley made in the spin following the candidate debate between Judges Susan Crawford and Brad Schimel make one wonder about civility at the Wisconsin Supreme Court. Flanked at a podium by former Lieutenant Governor Rebecca Kleefisch, Grassl Bradley referred to four of her fellow justices as “colleagues,” but her remarks were not collegial.Grassl Bradley called the actions of the four more liberal justices, who now frequently f ..read more

Brad Schimel and Susan Crawford vie for the open seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court created by Justice Ann Walsh Bradley's retirement. The election is April 1.Crawford is a trial judge on the Dane County Circuit Court. She graduated from the University of Iowa College of Law in 1994.Schimel is a trial judge on the Waukesha County Circuit Court. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin Law School in 1990.WJI asked each of the candidates to answer a series of questions. The questions are pat ..read more

"Walker's judges" is an effort to present information about former Gov. Scott Walker's appointees to the bench. Since the election of Gov. Tony Evers, WJI has focused on "Evers' judges." However, from time to time WJI posts "Walker's judges" columns for those who still serve on the bench. Brad Schimel was Wisconsin's attorney general when he was appointed by Walker to the Waukesha County Circuit Court in November 2018, just days after Schimel lost reelection on November 6, 2018.   ..read more

In La Crosse County, Joe Veenstra and Eric S. Sanford vie for an open seat. The election is April 1.The candidates are listed in the order shown on the Wisconsin Elections Commission's candidate tracking form; the order does not in any way reflect a preference or endorsement by Wisconsin Justice Initiative, which is nonpartisan.Veenstra is an attorney at the Johns, Flaherty & Collins law firm in La Crosse and is a supplemental court commissioner in La Crosse County Circuit Court. He graduate ..read more

In Racine County, Jamie M. McClendon challenges incumbent Jon Fredrickson in Branch 7. The election is April 1.McClendon is an attorney practicing at McLendon Law, LLC and previously was a staff attorney in the State Public Defender's Office. She graduated from Arizona State University's Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law in 2007. Her resume is here.Fredrickson was appointed Racine County Circuit Court judge by Gov. Scott Walker in 2018 and then elected to a full term in 2019. He previously ..read more

Mosaics with symbols of legislation, justice, and government from the interior of the Capitol dome in Madison, Wisconsin. Photographs by Margo Kirchner By Alexandria Staubach The Assembly’s Committee on the Judiciary held a public hearing this week on five bills, all of which seek to make the criminal legal system more punitive. In a perplexing move ..read more

In Waukesha County, David Maas challenges incumbent Bridget Schoenborn in Branch 4. The election is April 1.Maas is a prosecutor in the Fond du Lac County District Attorney's Office and before that was an assistant attorney general at the Wisconsin Department of Justice. He graduated from University of Wisconsin Law School in 1998. His resume is here.Schoenborn was appointed Waukesha County Circuit Court judge by Gov. Tony Evers in 2024. She previously was a federal prosecutor in the United Stat ..read more

Lubar Center Director Derek Mosley interviews Dane County Circuit Court Judge Susan Crawford at Marquette University Law School on Feb. 28, 2025. Photograph by Alexandria Staubach. By Alexandria StaubachDane County Circuit Court Judge Susan Crawford would not hint at what her position on pending cases would be if elected to the Wisconsin Supreme Court, but she wasn’t shy about a body of professional work that demonstrates her values. Crawford told a packed house at Marquette Uni ..read more

In Marinette County, incumbent Peggy L. Miller is challenged by DeShea D. Morrow. The election is April 1.Miller was appointed Marinette County Circuit Court judge by Gov. Tony Evers in 2024. She previously was a court commissioner in Oconto County and in private practice. She graduated from Marquette University Law School in 2000. Her resume is here.Morrow is the Marinette County district attorney. She graduated from Oak Brook College of Law (Fresno/online) in 2001.WJI asked each of the ca ..read more