Walker picks passed-over attorney to fill judgeship (UPDATE)

Gov. Scott Walker has tapped the leader of the state’s parole commission and the legal counsel for a state regulatory agency to fill two spots on the Milwaukee County bench.

Walker announced Wednesday that he had appointed Paul Dedinsky to take the place of Judge Mary Kuhnmuench, who is retiring.

Dedinsky, who earned his law degree from the University of Wisconsin Law School in 1993, is chief legal counsel for the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection. Before that, he was a Milwaukee County prosecutor for 20 years.

Dedinsky was one of 13 applicants for an open judgeship in Waukesha County whom Walker passed over on his way to handing the job to Attorney General Brad Schimel in November.

Walker also announced that he had appointed Daniel Gabler to replace retiring Judge Richard Sankovitz.

Since March 2017, Gabler has been chairman of the Wisconsin Parole Commission. Before that, Gabler was an assistant district attorney for Milwaukee County for more than 17 years. He was also a compliance officer at Goodwill Industries and a public affairs manager at Time Warner Cable.

Gabler earned his law degree from Marquette University Law School in 1991.

The Associated Press also contributed to this report.