Tempers are flaring in the Wisconsin Supreme Court following a shift in power. Earlier this year, Justice Janet Protasiewicz secured a seat and ended 15 years of Republican dominance. This shift led to a new Democrat 4-3 majority, which has not been well-received by all members of the court. Particularly, Chief Justice Annette Ziegler vented her discontent in a series of fiery emails, referring to the power shift and operational changes as a “coup”.
This flurry of activity was set off when, as reported by Huffington Post, the liberal majority voted to replace the state court director. The new director, Audrey Skwierawski, faced direct criticism from Ziegler for allegedly signing reserve judge orders without her knowledge or approval. Ziegler’s accusations were met with a vehemently defensive response from Skwierawski, asserting her legal and moral authority to sign such orders.
Ziegler’s accusations of “lawless destruction” and an “unprecedented coup” were similarly met with pushback from the liberal majority. Leading the defense was Justice Rebecca Dallet, who refuted the Chief Justice’s claims, defending the majority actions as constitutional. The situation escalated further when Dallet suggested that Ziegler’s public airing of grievances appeared politically motivated. Dallet maintained that the liberal majority was simply trying to create a functioning process in the face of an ‘intransigent and uncollegial chief.’
Dalle pushed back directly on Ziegler’s allegations, stating that, “The attempt to obstruct the proper business of the court and the furtherance of justice comes from you.” Given the pointed nature of this debate and public airing of grievances, it signals an uneasy working relationship within the Wisconsin Supreme Court.
This information was originally published in the ‘Above the Law’ outlet and can be read in detail here.