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Hon. William C. Griesbach

By: dmc-admin//May 25, 2009//

Hon. William C. Griesbach

By: dmc-admin//May 25, 2009//

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ImageU.S. District Court Judge William C. Griesbach typically enjoys his visits to the federal courthouse in downtown Milwaukee.

Spacious, secure and populated by the other four district court judges, the courthouse has many of the amenities absent the building Griesbach has called home in Green Bay since his appointment in 2002.

Since the second branch of the Eastern District of Wisconsin was created, one of Griesbach’s primary initiatives has been finding a permanent residence for him and other government agencies scattered around the city.

“As I understand it, Congress’ goal in establishing a branch in Green Bay was not to have a satellite court where a judge could occasionally go up and hold court in,” said Griesbach, who has to commute to Milwaukee for indictments.

Almost since he began his lifetime term, Griesbach has been working toward finding a location, which will provide the appropriate space and security for staff, attorneys and jurors.

While construction of a new facility is unlikely, Griesbach hopes the federal government will purchase the building in which the court currently operates, the century-old Carnegie Library.

“The idea was if they buy the building, which is on the National Registration of Historic Places, it could easily achieve the goal of preserving this architectural gem,” Griesbach said. “It’s like a mini Supreme Court.”

He estimates that the government has invested more than $1 million in the building and pays upwards of $300,000 in rent annually.

Griesbach suggested that his plans to build an addition onto the building to ensure secure prison transfer and an upper level state-of-the-art courtroom are ideal “stimulus” projects.

“This renovation project and addition would provide some good jobs for Green Bay as opposed to international architects coming in and bidding and a process that continues for years and years,” Griesbach said.

Despite the economy, the judge hopes the purchase and renovations might be considered in the near future, but in the meantime, Griesbach said he will continue to do whatever it takes to keep cases moving through the district.

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