Ann Walsh Bradley
Justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court
Assumed office
August 1, 1995
Preceded byNathan Heffernan
Wisconsin Circuit Court Judge for the Marathon Circuit
Branch 3
In office
1985 – August 1, 1995
Appointed byTony Earl
Preceded byDaniel L. LaRocque
Succeeded byVincent Howard
Personal details
Born (1950-07-05) July 5, 1950
Richland Center, Wisconsin, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
EducationWebster University (BA)
University of Wisconsin, Madison (JD)

Ann Walsh Bradley (born July 5, 1950) is a justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court. She was elected to the Supreme Court in 1995 and was re-elected in 2005 and 2015. She previously served ten years as a Wisconsin circuit court judge in Marathon County, Wisconsin.

Biography

Justice Bradley was born in Richland Center, Wisconsin. She earned her bachelor's degree in 1972 from Webster University in St. Louis, Missouri.[1] She worked as a high school teacher at Aquinas High School in La Crosse, Wisconsin, before entering the University of Wisconsin Law School, where she earned a J.D. degree in 1976. Justice Bradley worked in private law practice until she was appointed judge of the Wisconsin Circuit Court in Marathon County in 1985.[2]

Justice Bradley is an elected member of the American Law Institute, a former associate dean and faculty member of the Wisconsin Judicial College, a former chair of the Wisconsin Judicial Conference, a Democrat[3][4][5] and a lecturer for the American Bar Association's Asia Law Initiative.

Wisconsin Supreme Court tenure

Bradley was first elected to the Court in 1995, and re-elected in 2005 and 2015. Her current term expires July 31, 2025. Bradley has indicated she will run for another ten-year term in 2025. If she serves to the end of that term, she would become the second longest-serving justice in the history of the Wisconsin Supreme Court.[6]

2011 Conflict with Justice Prosser

On June 13, 2011, Bradley had a confrontation with Justice David Prosser Jr. which allegedly became violent. Prosser, Bradley, and all other justices besides Patrick Crooks were informally discussing the next day decision that would overturn Judge Sumi's ruling on the collective bargaining law in Bradley's office. There are different accounts as to what occurred.[7] According to Bradley, the discussion became heated after Bradley asked Prosser to leave her office and said she was bothered by his disparaging comments towards Chief Justice Shirley Abrahamson. Prosser allegedly then put his hands around Bradley's throat in what was described as a choke hold. Prosser himself said that these reports will be proven to be false.[8]

According to other anonymous sources, Bradley attacked Prosser. "She charged him with fists raised," the anonymous source said. Prosser "put his hands in a defensive posture," the anonymous source said. "He blocked her." In doing so, the anonymous source said, he made contact with Bradley's neck.[9] Justice Prosser denied he choked Bradley saying "Once there's a proper review of the matter and the facts surrounding it are made clear, the anonymous claims made to the media will be proven false." Justice Bradley stated that Prosser had choked her: "The facts are that I was demanding that he get out of my office and he put his hands around my neck in anger in a chokehold." Neither Prosser nor Bradley faced criminal charges from the incident.[10] The state Judicial Commission has told its special prosecutor not to pursue new avenues to forward its ethics case against Prosser.[11]

2015 reelection campaign

On April 7, 2015, Bradley was reelected to the Wisconsin Supreme Court, defeating Rock County Circuit Court Judge James P. Daley.

Electoral history

Wisconsin Circuit Court (1986, 1992)

Wisconsin Circuit Court, Marathon Circuit, Branch 3 Election, 1986[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
General Election, April 1, 1986
Nonpartisan Ann Walsh Bradley (incumbent) 9,062 100.0%
Total votes 9,062 100.0%
Wisconsin Circuit Court, Marathon Circuit, Branch 3 Election, 1992[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
General Election, April 7, 1992
Nonpartisan Ann Walsh Bradley (incumbent) 22,694 100.0%
Total votes 22,694 100.0%

Wisconsin Supreme Court (1995, 2005, 2015)

Wisconsin Supreme Court Election, 1995[14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Nonpartisan Primary, February 21, 1995 (top two)
Nonpartisan Ann Walsh Bradley 131,889 38.85%
Nonpartisan N. Patrick Crooks 88,913 26.19%
Nonpartisan Ted E. Wedemeyer Jr. 64,668 19.05%
Nonpartisan Patience D. Roggensack 41,303 12.16%
Nonpartisan William A. Pangman 12,753 3.76%
Total votes 339,526 100.0%
General Election, April 4, 1995
Nonpartisan Ann Walsh Bradley 514,588 54.82%
Nonpartisan N. Patrick Crooks 424,110 45.18%
Total votes 938,698 100.0%
Wisconsin Supreme Court Election, 2005[15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
General Election, April 5, 2005
Nonpartisan Ann Walsh Bradley (incumbent) 550,478 99.58%
Scattering 2,312 0.42%
Total votes 552,790 100.0%
Wisconsin Supreme Court Election, 2015[16]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
General Election, April 7, 2015
Nonpartisan Ann Walsh Bradley (incumbent) 471,866 58.03%
Nonpartisan James P. Daley 340,632 41.89%
Scattering 702 0.09%
Total votes 813,200 100.0%

References

  1. ↑ "Webster University honors Justice Ann Walsh Bradley". wicourts.gov. May 18, 2009.
  2. ↑ "Bradley, Ann Walsh 1950". Wisconsinhistory.org. 1950-07-05. Archived from the original on 2011-08-07. Retrieved 2011-06-27.
  3. ↑ "Challenger criticizes Justice Bradley's judicial philosophy". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. JSOnline. Retrieved 2015-02-09.
  4. ↑ "State Supreme Court challenger endorses changes". Green Bay Press Gazette. Associated Press, Green Bay Press Gazette. Retrieved 2015-02-09.
  5. ↑ "Wisconsin justice's spouse head of union-busting law firm". publicintegrity.org. The Center for Public Integrity. 20 June 2013. Retrieved 2015-02-10.
  6. ↑ Epstein, Reid J. [@reidepstein] (April 5, 2023). "Wisconsin news from the Protasiewicz party: Ann Walsh Bradley, who will become the Supreme Court's chief justice under the new liberal majority, told me she will seek re-election in 2025. No Wisconsin SC justice who won a contested election has ever subsequently lost one" (Tweet). Retrieved April 5, 2023 – via Twitter.
  7. ↑ "Two probes opened into Bradley claim". JSOnline. Retrieved 2011-06-27.
  8. ↑ "Prosser: Reports false that he placed hands on neck of other justice". JSOnline. Retrieved 2011-06-27.
  9. ↑ "Justices' feud gets physical". JSOnline. Archived from the original on 12 July 2011. Retrieved 2011-06-25.
  10. ↑ "Special prosecutor: No charges for Prosser, Bradley in fracas".
  11. ↑ "Supreme Court Justice David Prosser's case appears stuck in neutral". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. JSOnline. Retrieved 2015-02-09.
  12. ↑ Theobald, H. Rupert; Barish, Lawrence S., eds. (1987). "Elections in Wisconsin". The state of Wisconsin 1987-1988 Blue Book (Report). Madison, Wisconsin: State of Wisconsin. p. 863. Retrieved January 4, 2020.
  13. ↑ Barish, Lawrence S.; Theobald, H. Rupert, eds. (1993). "Elections in Wisconsin". State of Wisconsin 1993-1994 Blue Book (Report). Madison, Wisconsin: State of Wisconsin. p. 874. Retrieved January 4, 2020.
  14. ↑ Barish, Lawrence S., ed. (1995). "Elections in Wisconsin". State of Wisconsin 1995-1996 Blue Book (Report). Madison, Wisconsin: State of Wisconsin. p. 893. Retrieved January 4, 2020.
  15. ↑ Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau (2005). "Chapter 10 - Elections". State of Wisconsin 2005-2006 Blue Book (Report). Madison, Wisconsin: State of Wisconsin. p. 893. Retrieved January 4, 2020.
  16. ↑ Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau (2015). "Chapter 10 - Elections". State of Wisconsin 2015-2016 Blue Book (Report). Madison, Wisconsin: State of Wisconsin. p. 879. Retrieved January 4, 2020.

Further reading

  • Aquinas News, Aquinas High School, La Crosse, Wisconsin, September 1972, 'Six new teachers join staff', Carol First, class of 1974, pg. 12. Article about Ann Walsh joining the Aquinas High School faculty.
  • Aquinas News, Aquinas High School, La Crosse, Wisconsin, May 1973, pg. 8, 'Resignations announced for four AHS teachers'. Ann Walsh returning to graduate school to study law at the University of Wisconsin–Madison in the fall.
  • Aquin 1973, Aquinas High School, La Crosse, Wisconsin, two photos of Ann Walsh, pg. 63.
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