A significant number of new judges in Milwaukee County

By Margo Kirchner

​When John Remington takes his seat this month as Milwaukee County Circuit Court judge, he will be the eighth new judge joining the court during the past 12 months.
 
And once newly elected Marisabel Cabrera takes her seat, about one-fifth of the judges on the court will have been appointed since June 2023. Cabrera’s term starts Aug. 1.
 
For comparison, just one judge started on the court in all of 2022 and two in 2021.
 
“Is it unusual to have this many (new judges)? Yes, no question,” said Milwaukee County Circuit Court Chief Judge Carl Ashley in an interview with WJI.
 
Cabrera and Judge Ana Berrios-Schroeder were elected. The other seven new judges were appointed by Gov. Tony Evers to fill vacancies. (Several of the appointees then won election in April to serve new terms beginning Aug. 1.) A chart below shows the new judges and their start dates based on information provided by Ashley.

Milwaukee County Circuit Court has 47 judicial seats (called branches).
 
In lesser-populated counties, some with just one judicial seat, the judges hear all varieties of cases. But in Milwaukee County, judges are assigned to specific divisions such as felony, misdemeanor, civil, probate, children’s, or small claims court.
 
Ashley said that historically most new judges have started in children’s or misdemeanor court. However, when a judge had prior experience in a particular area of the law, a start in another division has occurred.
 
Becoming a judge is a transition, he said, and “We want to be supportive of the judge” during that transition. Veteran judges are always helpful for the new judges, he said.
 
In Milwaukee County, judges generally rotate after four years maximum in a particular division. For rotations, the chief judge takes into account where the judges want to be assigned, their seniority, and other factors. Ashley said we wants to have the best judges where they are needed.
 
“Does (the number of new judges) impact the ability to assign judges? Yes,” he said, adding that it's all part of balancing and “just something we have to adjust for.”
 
“As one would expect, there’s a bit of a learning curve that every judge experiences as they acclimate themselves to being a judge. As chief judge that impacts how judge assignments are made, but that is the nature of the process,” Ashley told WJI.
 
The number of new judges is not the only change that today impacts initial judge assignments to children’s court, Ashley said. Children’s court has changed as well, with nearly 10 homicide cases in children’s court in the past year, compared with perhaps one per year before then, he said. “Things have changed on both ends."
 
Ashley noted his respect for the judges who have retired recently. “I certainly want to acknowledge our veteran judges who have served our community for decades with great skill and commitment. The legacy of their mentorship has been and will be invaluable to our newer judges,” he said.
 
Currently, a committee led by Deputy Chief William Pocan and District 1 (Milwaukee County) Court Administrator Stephanie Garbo is studying rotation procedures for Milwaukee County Circuit Court. Ashley said the process for rotations was last assessed about 15 years ago.
 
The committee gathered survey data and other input from attorneys, current and retired judges, and the public. The committee will soon present Ashley with recommendations for any changes to the processes and policies governing rotations.