Latest news with #WisconsinCourtofAppeals
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Liberal Wisconsin judge launches state Supreme Court bid
Wisconsin Court of Appeals Judge Chris Taylor announced Tuesday that she's launching a campaign to challenge conservative Justice Rebecca Bradley on the state Supreme Court next year. 'Justices on the Wisconsin Supreme Court must be fair, independent, and impartial. Justice Rebecca Bradley has proven that she's more interested in pushing her own right-wing political agenda than protecting Wisconsinites' rights and freedoms,' Taylor said in a statement. 'Extremism and partisanship have no place on our state's highest court,' she continued. 'Everyone who comes before the court deserves to be heard, respected, and treated equally – that's exactly what I'll do as a Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice.' Taylor has served on the Wisconsin Court of Appeals since 2023, and previously served as a judge in the Dane County Circuit Court. She served in the Wisconsin state Legislature from 2011-20 as a Democrat, and was a vocal supporter of abortion access, including testifying before the U.S. Senate about the Women's Health Protection Act. Taylor also spent time as a public policy director at Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin. In an interview with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel published Tuesday, the liberal judge did not make a commitment around recusing herself on cases pertaining to Planned Parenthood in the event she won the seat next year. 'I would not categorically say because I worked for Planned Parenthood 15 years ago that I can't hear a case on reproductive health care,' Taylor told the Wisconsin news outlet. 'That would be like a judge who worked for a law firm 15 years ago who would say, 'Well I can never take a case from that law firm.'' The announcement comes more than a month after liberal Justice Susan Crawford won an open seat on the state Supreme Court, keeping the 4-3 liberal majority of the high court intact. Next year's race will not flip the Wisconsin court but provides an opportunity for liberals to expand their majority to a 5-2 edge. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
20-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
Liberal Wisconsin judge launches state Supreme Court bid
Wisconsin Court of Appeals Judge Chris Taylor announced on Tuesday that she's launching a campaign to challenge conservative Justice Rebecca Bradley on the state Supreme Court next year. 'Justices on the Wisconsin Supreme Court must be fair, independent, and impartial. Justice Rebecca Bradley has proven that she's more interested in pushing her own right-wing political agenda than protecting Wisconsinites' rights and freedoms,' Taylor said in a statement. 'Extremism and partisanship have no place on our state's highest court,' she continued. 'Everyone who comes before the court deserves to be heard, respected, and treated equally – that's exactly what I'll do as a Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice.' Taylor has served on the Wisconsin Court of Appeals since 2023, and previously served as a judge in the Dane County Circuit Court. She served in the Wisconsin state legislature between 2011 and 2020 as a Democrat, and was a vocal supporter of abortion access, including testifying before the U.S. Senate over the Women's Health Protection Act. Taylor also spent time as a public policy director at Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin. In an interview with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel published on Tuesday, the liberal judge did not make a commitment around recusing herself on cases pertaining to Planned Parenthood in the event she won the seat next year. 'I would not categorically say because I worked for Planned Parenthood 15 years ago that I can't hear a case on reproductive health care,' Taylor told the Wisconsin news outlet. 'That would be like a judge who worked for a law firm 15 years ago who would say, 'Well I can never take a case from that law firm.'' The announcement comes more than a month after liberal Justice Susan Crawford won an open seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court, keeping the 4-3 liberal majority of the high court intact. Next year's race will not determine control of the Wisconsin court, but it could provide an opportunity for liberals to expand the court further to a 5-2 majority.
CNN
27-04-2025
- Politics
- CNN
Wisconsin judge reacts to FBI director's post of Judge Dugan's arrest
Wisconsin judge reacts to FBI director's post of Judge Dugan's arrest FBI Director Kash Patel posted a photo on X Friday night of the Wisconsin judge who was arrested for allegedly obstructing immigration agents while she was handcuffed, being escorted to a vehicle by officials. Judge Pedro Colón, Wisconsin Court of Appeals – District 1, joins CNN's Kyung Lah to discuss. 01:31 - Source: CNN Vertical Politics of the Day 8 videos Wisconsin judge reacts to FBI director's post of Judge Dugan's arrest FBI Director Kash Patel posted a photo on X Friday night of the Wisconsin judge who was arrested for allegedly obstructing immigration agents while she was handcuffed, being escorted to a vehicle by officials. Judge Pedro Colón, Wisconsin Court of Appeals – District 1, joins CNN's Kyung Lah to discuss. 01:31 - Source: CNN Laura Coates explains the legal factors of arrested judge's case CNN's Laura Coates examines the case of a Milwaukee County Circuit judge who was arrested by the FBI and charged in federal court for allegedly helping an undocumented immigrant avoid arrest. 01:27 - Source: CNN FBI arrests judge for allegedly obstructing ICE The Federal Bureau of Investigation arrested a Milwaukee County Circuit judge Friday, accusing her of helping an undocumented immigrant avoid arrest. Judge Hannah Dugan is facing two charges for obstruction and concealing the individual from arrest, a law enforcement official told CNN. CNN's Katelyn Polantz reports. 01:29 - Source: CNN Voter confronts Jon Ossoff about impeaching Trump Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-GA) told a voter during a town hall in Cobb County, Georgia that he 'strongly' agrees that President Donald Trump needs to be impeached. 00:58 - Source: CNN Trump sends real estate mogul alone to deal with Putin CNN's Erin Burnett shows how Steve Witkoff, President Donald Trump's envoy sent to negotiate with Russian President Vladimir Putin, was greeted for the talks. 02:39 - Source: CNN Analysis: Trump is in a crisis of his own making Trump tells President Vladimir Putin to stop after Russia launched its deadliest wave of attacks on Kyiv in nine months. This comes days after Trump said the US would walk out on efforts to make a peace deal in Ukraine if it didn't see progress. CNN's Nick Paton Walsh breaks down the latest. 01:03 - Source: CNN Meeting MAGA media at the White House CNN's Donie O'Sullivan meets some of the Trump-friendly personalities who are now part of the White House press corps thanks to the administration's policy on 'new media' outlets. 01:05 - Source: CNN Reporter details Musk-Bessent shouting match in White House Axios reporter Marc Caputo reports that Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Elon Musk got into a heated argument in the West Wing. 01:21 - Source: CNN
Yahoo
31-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Wisconsin Supreme Court declines to hear case challenging Elon Musk's $1 million payments to voters
Wisconsin's high court declined to hear a case challenging Elon Musk's million-dollar handouts. Musk said he'd issue the checks at a Sunday town hall ahead of a pivotal state Supreme Court race. Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul said Musk's offer violated state law. The Wisconsin Supreme Court, in a unanimous ruling on Sunday, declined to block Elon Musk from giving away $1 million checks to voters at a town hall in Green Bay — in advance of a pivotal race for one of the court's seats on April 1. Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul, a Democrat, had asked the Wisconsin Supreme Court early Sunday to prevent Musk from issuing the funds to voters, hours before the high-profile event. "This case involves an issue of great public importance that requires urgent and authoritative resolution," Kaul wrote in his filing. He requested that the court issue an injunction "as soon as possible but no later than the planned event on Sunday evening." The ruling comes after the Wisconsin Court of Appeals on Saturday denied Kaul's bid to stop Musk from making the payments. Kaul had previously been denied a request for an emergency injunction by a county court judge. Kaul argued that Musk's planned giveaway violated a state law that makes it a felony to offer voters "anything of value" to influence their vote. "Wisconsin law prohibits offering anything of value to induce anyone to vote," Kaul wrote in his filing. "Yet, Elon Musk did just that." Last week, Musk deleted a post on X where he said he'd issue two separate $1 million checks "in appreciation for you taking the time to vote." In a new post, he wrote that entry to the town hall would be limited to individuals who sign a petition "in opposition to activist judges," adding that the two recipients of the $1 million checks would be spokesmen for the petition. The Wisconsin high court now has a 4-3 liberal majority. Tuesday's contest between liberal Dane County Judge Susan Crawford and conservative Waukesha County Judge Brad Schimel will decide the court's ideological direction moving forward. Musk has lined up behind Schimel. Schimel previously served as Wisconsin's attorney general for one term and was narrowly defeated in his 2018 reelection bid by Kaul. Musk's America PAC has spent over $12 million on the race, which is officially nonpartisan. However, as has been the case in recent years, the two parties have both lined up behind candidates in the state's Supreme Court contests. President Donald Trump endorsed Schimel, while Crawford has been backed by an array of Democrats, including former President Barack Obama. Read the original article on Business Insider
Yahoo
18-02-2025
- Yahoo
Darrell Brooks, convicted in Waukesha Christmas parade killings, may act as his own attorney again in appeal
Darrell Brooks Jr., who represented himself during a chaotic trial where he was convicted of killing six people when he drove his SUV through the 2021 Waukesha Christmas Parade, may represent himself again if he proceeds with an appeal. The latest twist unfolded as he has asked his attorney, Madison lawyer Michael Covey, to step aside, which under the circumstances means Brooks would again be left without an attorney during the key legal process — much as he did in his three-week trial in October 2022 that resulted in his conviction. As to when an appeal with the Wisconsin Court of Appeals must be filed, that remains an open question. On Feb. 14, Covey filed for an eighth extension, asking the courts to set a new deadline for June 27. It all comes more than a year after Covey, appointed by the State Public Defenders office in January 2023, began reviewing the piles of documents and trial transcripts that would've aided Brooks in an appeal. Brooks, who will turn 43 on Feb. 21, was sentenced in November 2022 to six consecutive life terms, plus an additional 700-plus years, following his conviction on 76 counts in the deaths of six people and injuries to dozens more in the downtown Waukesha parade. On Feb. 14, Covey filed a motion in Waukesha County Circuit Court to withdraw from the case, at Brooks' request. The motion included a nine-point "grounds" summary, including several that essentially cautioned Brooks on the risk he will take if he chooses to seek postconviction relief pro se — a.k.a., representing himself. In that motion were statements that Brooks, who is listed as indigent, would not be appointed another attorney from the public defenders office, which will send him a letter "explaining the disadvantages of proceeding pro se." The decision by Brooks mirrors a similar circumstance days before the start of his trial in October 2022. Brooks frequently ignored standard courtroom decorum in that trial and openly challenged the authority of the court, including questioning the credentials of court officials, including Judge Jennifer Dorow. Covey requested a hearing date be set to conduct what is called a colloquy — essentially a question-and-answer session in which a judge legally affirms whether Brooks understands the risks of representing himself. A similar session immediately preceded his trial in 2022. As of Monday, a hearing date has not been set. Based on his responses, the court will have to decide if it should grant Covey's motion to withdraw. In a voicemail message Friday to the Journal Sentinel, Covey acknowledged Brooks' request for him to withdrawal, but could add little concerning Brooks' reasoning. "I'm not able to give any kind of privileged information about the conversations with Mr. Brooks," he said. The motion also alluded to Brooks' transfer to a prison outside of Wisconsin earlier this year. Whenever the forthcoming hearing is held, Brooks will appear remotely via Zoom from his new location, which has not been publicly disclosed. In an email Monday, the Wisconsin Department of Corrections reiterated that Brooks' transfer was part of "an interstate compact that allows individuals convicted in one state to serve their sentence in another state for their own safety." Beth Hardtke, the DOC's public affairs director of communications, said the decision was not tied to any particular incident at the Wisconsin prison. For instance, no assault occurred that put Brooks at risk, she said in an email. Contact reporter Jim Riccioli at This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Darrell Brooks, convicted in Waukesha Christmas Parade killings, fires lawyer
