just. speedy. respectful. efficient.
Effective liaisons, encouraging, fostering and supporting educational
opportunities that improve the practice of law in western Wisconsin.
Join Today
Our Mission
Our mission as the Western District of Wisconsin Bar Association is to promote the just, speedy, respectful, and efficient disposition of every action filed in the District Court. To this end, we serve as a liaison among the Court, federal practitioners, litigants, and the public. We mentor new practitioners and sponsor continuing legal education on subjects that matter to the Court and to the federal bar we serve — all aimed at maintaining and improving the quality practice of law in our district and to promoting justice.
Next Annual Meeting
May 12, 2022
Keynote Speaker: Arlinda Locklear
Register here.Notices
2022 Virtual POWER Act Event
Thursday, September 22 at 11:00 AM CDTThe United States District Courts for the Northern District of Illinois and the Eastern and Western Districts of Wisconsin invites you to attend The Basics of Intimate Partner Violence for Attorneys.
Register for this event at Power ACT 2022.
Contact Us
Western District Bar Association
of Wisconsin
Email:
The Library of Congress is making its Web Archives Collection available for educational and research purposes. The Library has obtained permission for the use of many materials in the Collection, and presents additional materials for educational and research purposes in accordance with fair use under United States copyright law.
Many, if not all, of the websites in the collection and elements incorporated into the websites (e.g., photographs, articles, graphical representations) are protected by copyright. You are responsible for deciding whether your use of the items in this collection is legal. You are also responsible for securing any permissions needed to use the items. You will need written permission from the copyright owners of materials not in the public domain for distribution, reproduction, or other use of protected items beyond that allowed by fair use or other statutory exemptions. Some content may be protected under international law. You may also need permission from holders of other rights, such as publicity and/or privacy rights.
Researchers should consult the sites themselves for information about rights, contacts, and permissions. The catalog record for each archived website contains the specific information about the site known to the Library. Some sites in this collection may be restricted to onsite access only; see the Access Condition statement in each item record for more information.
The Library of Congress would like to hear from any copyright owners who are not properly identified on this website so that we may make the necessary corrections. In addition, if you are a copyright owner or otherwise have exclusive control over materials presently available through this collection and do not wish your materials to be available through this website, please let us know. To make a takedown request, please contact us via this contact form.
Content Embargo
Not all content that the Library has archives for is currently available through the Library’s website. Limitations affecting access to the archived content include a one-year embargo period for all content in the archive. Content outside of the embargo period is updated and made available regularly. For more information visit the Web Archiving Program | For Researchers page.
Citing Resources in the Web Archive
Citations should indicate: Archived in the Library of Congress Web Archives at www.loc.gov. When citing a particular website include the archived website's Citation ID (e.g., /item/lcwa00010240). Researchers are advised to follow standard citation guidelines for websites, pages, and articles. Researchers are reminded that many of the materials in this web archive are copyrighted and that citations must credit the authors/creators and publishers of the works. For guidance about compiling full citations consult Citing Primary Sources.
More about Copyright and Other Restrictions
Seventh Circuit |
Posts: 2 |
Judges: 2 |
Vacancies: 0 |
Chief: James D. Peterson |
Active judges: William Conley, James D. Peterson Senior judges: |
The United States District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin is one of 94 United States district courts. It encompasses much of the western half of the state and is headquartered in the Robert Kastenmeier Federal Courthouse in downtown Madison, Wisconsin.
When decisions of the court are appealed, they are appealed to the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit based in downtown Chicago, Illinois, at the Everett M. Dirksen Federal Courthouse and Building.
Vacancies
See also: Current federal judicial vacanciesThere are no current vacancies on the United States District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin, out of the court's two judicial positions.
Pending nominations
There are no pending nominees for this court.
Active judges
Article III judges
William Conley | Barack Obama (D) | March 25, 2010 - | University of Wisconsin, 1978 | University of Wisconsin Law School, 1982 |
James D. Peterson | Barack Obama (D) | May 12, 2014 - | University of Wisconsin, 1979 | University of Wisconsin Law School, 1998 |
Active Article III judges by appointing political party
The list below displays the number of active judges by the party of the appointing president. It does not reflect how a judge may rule on specific cases or their own political preferences.
- Democrat appointed: 2
- Republican appointed: 0
Senior judges
Barbara Crabb | Jimmy Carter (D) | March 24, 2010 - | University of Wisconsin, 1960 | University of Wisconsin Law School, 1962 |
Senior judges by appointing political party
The list below displays the number of senior judges by the party of the appointing president. It does not reflect how a judge may rule on specific cases or their own political preferences.
- Democrat appointed: 1
- Republican appointed: 0
Magistrate judges
Federal magistrate judges are federal judges who serve in United States district courts, but they are not appointed by the president and they do not serve life terms. Magistrate judges are assigned duties by the district judges in the district in which they serve. They may preside over most phases of federal proceedings, except for criminal felony trials. The specific duties of a magistrate judge vary from district to district, but the responsibilities always include handling matters that would otherwise be on the dockets of the district judges. Full-time magistrate judges serve for renewable terms of eight years. Some federal district courts have part-time magistrate judges, who serve for renewable terms of four years.[1]
Stephen Crocker | 1992 - | |||
Peter Oppeneer | July 23, 2009 - |
Jurisdiction
The Counties of the Western District of Wisconsin (click for larger map)
The Western District of Wisconsin has original jurisdiction over cases filed within its jurisdiction. These cases can include civil and criminal matters that fall under federal law.
The geographic jurisdiction of the Western District of Wisconsin consists of all the following counties in the western part of the state of Wisconsin.
- Adams County
- Ashland County
- Barron County
- Bayfield County
- Buffalo County
- Burnett County
- Chippewa County
- Clark County
- Columbia County
- Crawford County
- Dane County
- Douglas County
- Dunn County
- Eau Claire County
- Grant County
- Green County
- Iowa County
- Iron County
- Jackson County
- Jefferson County
- Juneau County
- La Crosse County
- Lafayette County
- Lincoln County
- Marathon County
- Monroe County
- Oneida County
- Pepin County
- Pierce County
- Polk County
- Portage County
- Price County
- Richland County
- Rock County
- Rusk County
- Sauk County
- Sawyer County
- St. Croix County
- Taylor County
- Trempealeau County
- Vernon County
- Vilas County
- Washburn County
- Wood County
Caseloads
This section contains court management statistics dating back to 2010. It was last updated in May 2021. Click [show] below for more information on caseload terms and definitions.
Cases filed and terminated | The number of civil and criminal lawsuits formally initiated or decided by the court in a calendar year. The chart below reflects the table columns Cases filed and Cases terminated. |
Average time from filing to disposition | The average amount of time, in months, from a case's date of filing to date of disposition (acquittal, sentencing, dismissal, etc.). The chart below reflects the table columns Median time (Criminal) and Median time (Civil). |
Starting case load | The number of cases pending from the previous calendar year. |
Cases filed | The number of civil and criminal lawsuits formally initiated in a calendar year. |
Cases terminated | The total number of civil and criminal lawsuits decided by the court in a calendar year. |
Remaining cases | The number of civil and criminal cases pending at the end of a given year. |
Median time (Criminal) | The average amount of time, in months, from a case's date of filing to the date of disposition. In criminal cases, the date of disposition occurs on the day of sentencing or acquittal/dismissal. |
Median time (Civil) | The average amount of time, in months, from a case's date of filing to the date of disposition. |
Three-year civil cases | The number and percent of civil cases that were filed more than three years before the end of the given calendar year. |
Vacant posts | The number of months during the year an authorized judgeship was vacant. |
Trial/Post | The number of trials completed divided by the number of authorized judgeships on the court. Trials include evidentiary trials, hearings on temporary restraining orders, and preliminary injunctions. |
Source: United States Courts, "Explanation of the Judicial Caseload Profiles for United States District Courts," accessed September 25, 2018 |
Year | Cases Filed | Cases Terminated | Cases Pending | Number of Judgeships | Vacant Judgeship Months | Average Total Filings per Judgeship | Trials Completed per Judgeship | Median time from filing to disposition, criminal | Median time from filing to disposition, civil | Three-year civil cases (#) | Three-year civil cases (%) |
2010 | 1,134 | 988 | 800 | 2 | 12 | 567 | 20 | 6 | 5 | 2 | 0 |
2011 | 1,058 | 998 | 813 | 2 | 12 | 529 | 21 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 1 |
2012 | 1,196 | 1,074 | 986 | 2 | 12 | 598 | 12 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 0 |
2013 | 1,153 | 1,152 | 985 | 2 | 12 | 577 | 14 | 6 | 7 | 5 | 1 |
2014 | 1,132 | 1,156 | 958 | 2 | 4 | 566 | 18 | 6 | 8 | 9 | 1 |
2015 | 1,082 | 1,003 | 1,043 | 2 | 0 | 541 | 27 | 7 | 8 | 15 | 2 |
2016 | 1,068 | 1,065 | 1,050 | 2 | 0 | 534 | 16 | 7 | 7 | 20 | 2 |
2017 | 1,185 | 1,054 | 1,185 | 2 | 0 | 593 | 22 | 8 | 8 | 38 | 4 |
2018 | 1,381 | 1,203 | 1,362 | 2 | 0 | 691 | 18 | 7 | 8 | 42 | 4 |
2019 | 1,353 | 1,327 | 1,390 | 2 | 0 | 677 | 27 | 8 | 8 | 37 | 3 |
Average | 1,174 | 1,102 | 1,057 | 2 | 5 | 587 | 20 | 7 | 7 | 17 | 2 |
History
Court history
The State of Wisconsin was established and organized as one judicial district by Congress on May 29, 1848 with one post to cover the entire state. This judicial district was not assigned to a judicial circuit and was therefore granted the same jurisdiction as United States circuit courts, excluding appeals and writs of error, which are the jurisdiction of the United States Supreme Court.
On July 15, 1862 Statute 12 Stat. 576 reorganized the judicial circuits, repealed the circuit court jurisdiction of the U.S. District Court for the District of Wisconsin, and then assigned the district over to the Eighth Circuit. Statute 14 Stat. 209 again reorganized the circuits, and assigned U.S. District Court for the District of Wisconsin over to the Seventh Circuit on July 23, 1866.
The U.S. District Court for the District of Wisconsin was divided into two judicial districts, known as the Eastern District of Wisconsin and the Western District of Wisconsin on June 30, 1870, with one judgeship authorized to each district. The sitting judge was assigned over to the Eastern District of Wisconsin.
Over time one additional judicial post was added for a total of two current posts.[2]
Judicial posts
The following table highlights the development of judicial posts for the Western District of Wisconsin:[2]
Year | Statute | Total Seats |
May 29, 1848 | 9 Stat. 233 | 1 |
June 30, 1870 | 16 Stat. 171 | 1 |
October 20, 1978 | 92 Stat. 1629 | 2 |
Noteworthy cases
For a searchable list of opinions, please see Opinions of the Western District of Wisconsin.
Federal courthouse
One courthouse serves the Western District of Wisconsin and is located in Madison.[3]
About United States District Courts
The United States district courts are the general trial courts of the United States federal courts. There are 94 such courts. Both civil and criminal cases are filed in the district court, which is a court of both law and equity.
There is a United States bankruptcy court and a number of bankruptcy judges associated with each United States district court. Each federal judicial district has at least one courthouse, and most districts have more than one.
There is at least one judicial district for each state, and one each for Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia. District courts in three insular areas—the United States Virgin Islands, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands—exercise the same jurisdiction as U.S. district courts. Despite their name, these courts are technically not District Courts of the United States. Judges on these territorial courts do not enjoy the protections of Article III of the Constitution, and serve terms of 10 years rather than for life.
There are 677 U.S. District Court judgeships.[4][5]
The number of federal district judge positions is set by the U.S. Congress in Title 28 of the U.S. Code, Section 133, which authorizes a set number of judge positions, or judgeships, making changes and adjustments in these numbers from time to time.
In order to relieve the pressure of trying the hundreds of thousands of cases brought before the federal district courts each year, many trials are tried by juries, along with a presiding judge.[6]
Appointments by president
The chart below shows the number of district court judges confirmed by the U.S. Senate through October 1 of the second year of each president's term in office. At this point in the term, President Clinton had the most district court appointments with 83.
Judges by district
See also: Judicial vacancies in federal courtsThe table below displays the number of judges in each district and indicates how many were appointed by presidents from each major political party. It also includes the number of vacancies in a district and how many pending nominations for that district are before the United States Senate. The table can be sorted by clicking the column headers above the line, and you can navigate through the pages by clicking the arrows at the top of the table. It is updated every Monday.
Judicial selection
The district courts are served by Article III federal judges who are appointed for life during "good behavior." They are usually first recommended by senators (or members of the House, occasionally). The President of the United States makes the appointments, which must then be confirmed by the U.S. Senate in accordance with Article III of the United States Constitution.[5]
1. Recommendation made by Congress Member to the President | President Nominates to Senate Judiciary Committee | President Declines Nomination |
2. Senate Judiciary Committee interviews Candidate | Sends candidate to Senate for confirmation | Returns candidate to President, who may re-nominate to Committee |
3. Senate votes on candidate confirmation | Candidate becomes federal judge | Candidate does not receive judgeship |
Magistrate judges
The district courts are also served by magistrate judges. Congress created the judicial office of federal magistrate in 1968. In 1990, the position title was changed to magistrate judge. The chief judge of each district appoints one or more magistrate judges, who discharge many of the ancillary duties of district judges so judges can handle more trials. There are both full-time and part-time magistrate judge positions, and these positions are assigned to the district courts according to caseload criteria (subject to funding by Congress). A full-time magistrate judge serves a term of eight years; a part-time magistrate judge's term of office is four years.[7]
See also
- United States Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit
- Central District of Illinois
- Northern District of Illinois
- Southern District of Illinois
- Northern District of Indiana
- Southern District of Indiana
- Eastern District of Wisconsin
External links
- Search Google News for this topic
- United States District Court, Western District of Wisconsin
- Opinions of the Western District of Wisconsin
- US Attorney's Office for the Western District of Wisconsin
Footnotes
- ↑ Federal Judicial Center, "Magistrate Judgeships," accessed April 29, 2021
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Federal Judicial Center, "History of the Western District of Wisconsin," accessed May 7, 2021
- ↑ Western District of Wisconsin, "Court information," accessed May 7, 2021
- ↑ US Courts, "Federal Judgeships," accessed May 10, 2021 (archived)
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 U.S. Courts, "United States District Court Federal Judiciary Frequently Asked Questions," accessed May 10, 2021 (archived)
- ↑ United States District Courts, "District Courts," accessed May 10, 2021
- ↑ The 'Lectric Law Library, "Understanding the U.S. federal courts"
What's on my ballot? | Elections in 2022 | How to vote | How to run for office | Ballot measures |
Who represents me? | U.S. President | U.S. Congress | Federal courts | State executives | State legislature | State and local courts | Counties | Cities | School districts | Public policy |
v • e Federal judges who have served the United States District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin |
Chief Judge: James D. Peterson • William Conley (Wisconsin)
Barbara Crabb •
John Shabaz • James Campbell Hopkins • Romanzo Bunn • Arthur Loomis Sanborn • Claude Zeth Luse • Patrick Thomas Stone • James Edward Doyle • David Rabinovitz •
John Shabaz • Barbara Crabb • James Edward Doyle • William Conley (Wisconsin) •
| ||
| ||
| ||
| ||
| ||
| ||
| ||
| ||
| ||
| ||
|