Hruz lands seat on District 3 Court of Appeals

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Milwaukee attorney Thomas Hruz has been appointed to the Wausau-based District 3 Court of Appeals, Gov. Scott Walker’s office announced Monday.

Hruz, a partner at Meissner Tierney Fisher & Nichols SC, will replace Judge Mark Mangerson, who announced in May that he is retiring July 31. Mangerson had four years left in his term, though an election will be held for the seat in 2016.

Hruz, reached Monday, said he is “very excited about the honor and privilege” of serving as an appellate judge. He said he and his wife will move to Wausau soon, as he has family in Vilas County, but they aren’t sure where they will permanently live.

According to records from the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign, Hruz donated $750 to Walker’s campaign between 2009 and 2010. He said he had no comment on the donations, but did note that the donations were made “a while ago” and were not recent.

Hruz graduated from Marquette University Law School in 2002. According to his website, Hruz clerked for state Supreme Court Justice David Prosser between 2002 and 2003 and for former 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Judge John Coffey between 2003 and 2004.

According to a news release from Gov. Scott Walker’s office, Hruz served as an adjunct professor of appellate writing and advocacy at Marquette and has also served as chairman of the appellate practice section of the State Bar.

Mangerson said in May that he was ready to retire after serving as a judge since 1987. Prior to the Court of Appeals, he served as an Oneida County circuit judge.

He said the amount he makes as an appellate court judge – $136,316 in 2013 – is roughly the amount he will receive from his pension and social security benefits. Combine that with wanting to visit eight grandchildren in five states, he said, and it’s time to step down. Follow @eheisigWLJ