Sullivan takes helm in Milwaukee

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Hon. Michael P. Sullivan

Milwaukee County’s new chief judge plans to draw upon his 26 years as a circuit court judge and five years as a court commissioner as he takes the helm of the state’s largest judicial district.

Judge Michael P. Sullivan points to the budget and pro se litigants as some of the biggest challenges facing the 47-seat system. As Sullivan succeeds Judge Michael J. Skwierawski as chief, he does not want to lose any of the gains the system has seen in term of speedy trial courts or other successful programs.

“I’m looking forward to working with my colleagues,” Sullivan said during a recent interview. “I want to continue the excellent programs that Judge Skwierawski embarked upon. One that springs to mind is the Justice Oversight Initiative; another one is the work we’ve done in pretrial services.”

Budgetary Challenges

One of the biggest issues Sullivan faces when looking at those goals is that of financing. The Milwaukee court system is currently using a $7 million federal grant for the Justice Oversight Initiative, to help assess and implement changes in the delivery of services to domestic violence victims and defendants. However, that money is only slated to run the program until 2005. Sullivan said he wants to determine what can be done to sustain portions of the program, which have been so valuable.

He acknowledged the challenges of trying to ensure adequate services are available to those who need to use the court system when much of the financing comes from the county and state.

“These are very challenging times in Milwaukee for the courts, as they are all over the state because of the budgetary problems,” Sullivan said, noting the budget issues Milwaukee County is facing. “That’s something we are going to have to work through with the county in order to keep the courts functioning and meet our constitutional mandate, which is to provide access for the people of the state to the court system.”

He noted that the county has been very good about working with the court system to keep it functioning appropriately.

Pro Se Proliferation

Another challenge facing the court is the proliferation of pro se litigants, Sullivan said, noting that about 65 percent of litigants in family law cases are pro se.

“When people either by necessity or choice are representing themselves, that’s a whole new set of issues for us,” Sullivan said.

The Milwaukee court system already has worked on developing forms for pro se litigants, but Sullivan would eventually like to see its efforts expanded to include a pro se center similar to what has developed in Waukesha County.

“That’s on my wish list, but I’m also mindful of the budgetary constraints at this point in time,” Sullivan said. “It’s definitely something I’d like to see, not only for family cases, but for small claims.”

Such an project would need the cooperation of the bar, as well, he said, noting that pro se litigants need some additional assistance. He acknowledged that will be a long-term project.

At this point in time, Sullivan said, he is consumed with thoughts of the budget.

“Keeping the system running properly in these budgetary hard times is a major goal,” he said. “That’s going to require a lot of attention and energy.”

Sullivan noted that he will have two deputy chief judges helping him with all of those efforts — Kitty K. Brennan and David A. Hansher.

“I think they provide me with a good, balanced perspective with which to work,” Sullivan observed.

Sullivan was originally elected to the circuit court bench in 1977 and he has been re-elected four times. His current term ends in 2007.

Tony Anderson can be reached by email.