The Court of Appeals is higher then the circuit courts but below the Supreme Court. The job of the Court of Appeals is to correct mistakes made at the circuit court level. The court has four districts with 16 judges, with each distract having three to five judges. Usually the court uses a three-judge panel but in some cases, like small claims actions or traffic regulation violations, there is only one deciding judge. The chief judge of the Court of Appeals is appointed by the WI Supreme Court. This is a three-year term position. Each district is managed by a presisding judge. This position is appointed by the chief judge and is a two-year term. All judges must also be elected. This elections are district-wide, non-partisan elections that take place in the spring. These terms last six years. If there are any vacinies in the court they are filled by the govenor and then are up for election the following spring. There are no term limits for these positions.

The third district includes Chippewa, Dunn, Eau Claire and Menominee counties. The current judges for this district are Lisa Kay Stark, Thomas M. Hruz, and Greg Gill Jr. None of their terms expire this election cycle.

The fourth district includes Clark and Jackson counties. The current judges for the district are Jennifer Nashold, JoAnne Kloppenburg, Brian Blanchard, Rachel Graham, and Michael Fitzpatrick. Michael Fitzpatrick term is expiring this year.

Fitzpatrick will not be running for reelection. The only person on the ballot for this election will be Chris Tayler. Since only one person is running there will not be a primary.

 

For more information for the Court of Appeals, go here.

Chris Taylor's campaign website

 

 

Posted by Mallory Williams, Governmental Affairs Intern
williams@eauclairechamber.org