Michael Gableman
From Judgepedia
| Michael Gableman | |
 | |
| Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice | |
| Assumed office 2008 | |
| Term ends 2018 | |
| Burnett County Circuit Court Judge | |
| In office 2002-2008 | |
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Michael Gableman is an associate justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court. He was elected to this office on April 1, 2008 for a ten-year term. His term expires in 2018.
Education
Gableman received his B.A. in Education and History from Ripon College in 1988 and his J.D. from Hamline University School of Law in 1993. [1]
Career
After graduating from law school, Gableman was a law clerk in Douglas County, Minnesota for two years, then Brown County, Wisconsin for one year. In 1996, he became Assistant District Attorney in Langlade County. One year later, he was prosecutor in Marathon County. He stayed in this position for two years, until he became District Attorney for Ashland County. In 2002, Gableman was appointed a Burnett County Circuit Court Judge. He served in this position until winning election to the Wisconsin Supreme Court in 2008. [1][2]
Awards and associations
- Member, Fraternal Order of Moose
- Past Grand Knight, Ashland Council, Knights of Columbus Masons
- Member, Rotary International [1]
Elections
Gableman won elected to the Wisconsin Supreme Court in 2008, defeating incumbent Louis Butler with 51.19% of the vote. [3]
Judicial commission complaint
A complaint was filed on Justice Gableman over advertising tactics used during the 2008 campaign against sitting-Justice Louis Butler, as a complaint was filed by the Wisconsin Judicial Commission.[4]. On November 19, 2008, Justice Gableman issued a response towards the complaint levied by the Wisconsin Judicial Commission over advertising tactics used against then Supreme Court Justice Louis Butler. Gableman is defending the complaint claiming that the his first amendment rights are violated, and campaign advertising should be free speech[5].
The television advertisement in question, was over a case that Louis Butler worked on as a public defender involving Reuben Lee Mitchell. Mitchell was convicted of molesting an 11-year-old girl[6].
The ad described: "Butler found a loophole. Mitchell went on to rape another child." However, the ad did not state that Butler got Mitchell's conviction overturned on appeal, but the Wisconsin Supreme Court reinstated the conviction Mitchell who served one previous sentence committed the subsequent crime years later after Mitchell was released on parole[6].
On July 8, 2009, attorneys representing Justice Mike Gableman said that the complaint filed against Gableman is considered a "form of harassment and punishment by the state" in a court filing in response to a separate filing issued by the judicial commission. The judicial commission said Gableman's ad "does extreme violence to the public's confidence in the integrity of Wisconsin's judicial system." The filing also mentioned: "The false statement of fact in the advertisement is that Louis Butler was in some way responsible for the release from prison of Reuben Lee Mitchell and for Mitchell's subsequent crime. It is accomplished by the conflation of four sentences into one lie."[6]
The judicial commission has requested that Gableman's colleagues on the Supreme Court to discipline the justice on the campaign ad on the claim that it intentionally misled voters about his opponent. A three-judge panel is reviewing the case and is expected to hold a hearing on the matter later in 2009. [6]
Outcome of judicial commission complaint
Though the 3 judge panel recommended the case be dropped, the Wisconsin Supreme Court heard a case against their colleague regarding the negative ad during the 2008 Supreme Court campaign. The justices were deadlocked, 3-3. Justices Shirley Abrahamson, N. Patrick Crooks and Ann Walsh Bradley concluded that Gableman lied about his opponent, Louis Butler. Because the burden of proof falls on the Wisconsin Judicial Commission, no action will be taken against Gableman. [7][8]
See also
External links
- Wisconsin Court System, Justice Michael J. Gableman
- Project Vote Smart, Justice Mike Gableman (WI)
- Milwaukee Wisconsin Journal Sentinel, "State Supreme Court upholds gay marriage ban", June 30, 2010
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Project Vote Smart, Justice Mike Gableman (WI)
- ↑ Wisconsin Court System, Justice Michael J. Gableman
- ↑ Wisconsin State Elections Board, Results of Spring General Election - 04/01/2008
- ↑ Butler, Gableman embattled in harsh ad war across state
- ↑ "WisPolitics", Response to Judicial Commission, November 20, 2008
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 "JSOnline" Gableman team suggests ethics complaint is harassment, July 9, 2009
- ↑ WTAQ.com, "High Court Deadlocked on Gableman Ad", July 1, 2010
- ↑ WQOW.com, "Lawyers: Wis. justice has prevailed in ethics case", July 1, 2010
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