On the Issues: State Bar Judicial Task Force Members

State Bar Judicial Task Force members Joseph Troy (chair), Christine Bremer Muggli, Catherine Rottier, and Thomas Shriner—Should Wisconsin Supreme Court justices be limited to one, 16-year term in office? For decades, voters have elected justices to 10-year terms, with no limit on the number of terms that can be served. Reelection campaigns have become increasingly expensive and politically charged affairs, causing some to question the perception of the court’s independence. In response, this fall the State Bar of Wisconsin’s Board of Governors voted overwhelmingly to support a proposal that would amend the state constitution to preserve elections but limit each justice to a single, 16-year term. The plan, recommended by the bipartisan Judicial Task Force, is designed to “engender greater public confidence in the court’s ability to pursue justice independently of political influence.” Join us as the four members of the Task Force discuss the origins of the proposal, its merits, and its political future.