Brown County judge to lead Committee of Chief Judges

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A Brown County Circuit Court judge will lead the state’s Committee of Chief Judges.

Chief judges across the state on Tuesday chose Judge Donald Zuidmulder, who has been chief judge for the Eighth Judicial District since 2010, according to a news release. The Eighth District is composed of Brown, Door, Kewaunee, Marinette, Oconto, Outagamie and Waupaca counties.

Zuidmulder is a member of the Criminal Jury Instruction Committee of the Judicial Conference, and the Judicial Conduct Advisory Committee. He established Brown County’s drug treatment court, mental health treatment court and heroin treatment court, as well as encouraged the establishment of the Northeast Wisconsin Veterans Treatment Court, which serves all counties in the Eighth District.

Zuidmulder will replace outgoing chairman Judge Jeffrey Kremers of the Milwaukee County Circuit Court.

The Committee of Chief Judges consists of one chief judge from each of the state’s 10 judicial administrative districts. The chair, informally known as “the chief of the chiefs,” presides over about seven committee meetings per year.

Chief judges, with the help of a deputy chief judge and professional court administrator, manage the flow of cases, supervise personnel, develop budgets, and meet to address problems significant to circuit court judges throughout the state. The chief judges also convene subcommittees as needed to consider issues and problems facing the trial courts.