Roggensack to continue as chief justice

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Pat Roggensack will continue leading Wisconsin’s highest court.

The Wisconsin Supreme Court announced Thursday that the justices had re-elected Roggensack to continue as chief justice. She will be serving her second, two-year term as chief.

“I am honored to have been elected to continue as chief justice,” Roggensack said. “It is a privilege to serve the court system as the chief justice and to work with Wisconsin Court of Appeals and Circuit Court judges and their staff. I will maintain my open-door policy to all who wish to discuss the administration of Wisconsin courts.”

The court first elected Roggensack as chief in 2015 by an email vote, after the post’s designation by seniority was ended by a constitutional amendment voters passed the same year.

The vote attracted much attention because Justice Shirley Abrahamson had sued in federal court to attempt to delay the effective date of the amendment. In the end, the court let the vote stand, and Roggensack took over as chief.

Justices Michael Gableman, David Prosser, Annette Ziegler and Roggensack had voted to elect Roggensack in 2015. Abrahamson and Justices Ann Walsh Bradley and Patrick Crooks objected, but Roggensack accepted the position.