Wisconsin Law Journal – WI Legal News & Resources Wisconsin Legal News & Resources

The Wisconsin Supreme Court announced Wednesday that it has accepted two new cases, one involving an insurance matter and the other the collection of a blood sample in an operating-while-intoxicated case.

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Although Gov. Scott Walker’s 57 vetoes to the state’s new budget contained few surprises, the reasons given for his use of his powerful pen might have left some observers scratching their heads.

Tagged with: bail bondsmen budget Scott Walker

Counties would no longer have to come up with their own money if they want to test out using GPS devices to keep track of people who have been placed on restraining orders.

Tagged with: bail bondsmen budget DNA J.B. Van Hollen Scott Walker

State lawyers affected by a proposed attorney pay-progression plan won’t receive the 1 percent raise approved by committee Wednesday for most state and University of Wisconsin workers.

Tagged with: budget pay progression Robin Vos Scott Walker

Assistant Attorney General Karie Cattanach has seen some disturbing things in her line of work, but it was a doctored photo of her 18-month-old daughter that shook her to the core.

Tagged with: Brad Schimel Christian Gossett Dan Blank J.B. Van Hollen Karie Cattanach

Gov. Scott Walker’s office announced Monday the appointments of two judges, one to the Eau Clair County Circuit Court Branch 1 and one to the Jefferson County Circuit Court Branch 3.

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Days after the U.S. Supreme Court decided it is constitutional to take DNA samples from people arrested for serious crimes, state lawmakers made further changes to a proposal that would make such collections legal in Wisconsin.

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Certain state lawyers’ salaries would progress through a 17-step system until they reach a maximum of $119,471 a year under a provision adopted by lawmakers in the wee hours of Wednesday morning.

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The chief justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court received only partial satisfaction Wednesday in response to her concern that a technical matter would cost the court millions of dollars over the next two years.

Tagged with: Shirley Abrahamson Wisconsin Supreme Court

Lawmakers will consider bills Wednesday that would prohibit using abortions to avoid having a baby of a certain sex, bar a state health insurance plan from covering abortions in most circumstances and exempt insurers hired by religious organizations from having to cover contraceptives.

Tagged with: abortion Andre Jacque

The Republicans who dominate the state’s Joint Finance Committee plan to keep Gov. Scott Walker’s proposal to collect DNA samples from people who have been arrested on suspicion of felonies. But they could drop the plan to take them from those arrested for certain misdemeanors, the co-chairman of the committee said Thursday.

Tagged with: ACLU Alberta Darling Chris Ahmuty DNA John Nygren U.S. Supreme Court

Dane County will receive a $24,000 grant from the American Bar Association to help the county reduce racial disparities in the criminal justice system.

Tagged with: ABA American Bar Association racial discrimination

Lawmakers plan to use counties as testing grounds before implementing statewide Gov. Scott Walker’s proposal to use GPS devices to track people who have been put under a restraining order.

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The state’s Joint Finance Committee voted unanimously to eliminate Gov. Scott Walker’s proposal to hire a solicitor general and three deputy solicitor generals to help the Department of Justice handle appeals and similar matters.

Tagged with: J.B. Van Hollen Kevin St. John

Wisconsin’s up-and-coming assistant attorneys general, public defenders and district attorneys won’t be able to make more than $57,688 a year under a new pay-progression plan adopted Tuesday by the state’s Joint Finance Commission.

Tagged with: pay SPD Steven Means

The Wisconsin Supreme Court has voted to accept three new cases and reject 22 others.

Tagged with: sexual assault Wisconsin Supreme Court

It’s a rare breed of lawyer that can successfully handle cases at trial and on appeal, but not specialize in either.

Tagged with: Amelia Bizzaro appeal Quarles & Brady State Public Defender's Office Wisconsin Court of Appeals Wisconsin Department of Justice

The state Legislature’s budget committee approved Gov. Scott Walker’s plan to reduce the workforce of a commission that deals with labor relations.

Tagged with: collective bargaining Scott Walker

The state Assembly voted 60-36 Wednesday in favor of a bill that would cap at $30 million the amount of contingency fees lawyers can collect for doing state work.

Tagged with: contingency fees Jim Ott tort reform Torts

Gov. Scott Walker might be going too far, according to a nonpartisan fiscal report, if he cuts 65 percent of the staff jobs at a state commission that mediates labor disputes.

Tagged with: collective bargaining Scott Walker

A Green Bay lawyer has been named president-elect of the State Bar of Wisconsin.

Tagged with: Amy Wochos Bob Gagan Davis & Kuelthau Kevin Klein Kevin Lyons Pat Fiedler State Bar

Fewer people took and passed the Wisconsin State Bar Exam in 2012 than in the two past years, according to an annual report released last week by the state Board of Bar Examiners.

Tagged with: Board of Bar Examiners Marquette University Law School University of Wisconsin Law School

Two Wisconsin tort reform proposals received approvals from a legislative judiciary committee Thursday and one more or less died.

Tagged with: Dana Wachs informed consent Jim Ott personal injury tort reform Torts

If tort-reform bills now before state legislators had been laws two years ago, Lindy Orlowski would be out about $60,000.

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After Wisconsin legislators failed last year to pass a bill that would have let doctors tell patients “I’m sorry” without fear of legal consequences, a nurse-and-doctor pair of Republican lawmakers has resuscitated the proposal.

Tagged with: Erik Severson Leah Vukmir Medical malpractice

The Wisconsin Supreme Court on Monday voted to accept three cases and to deny review of 39.

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Lawmakers are arguing a recent Wisconsin Supreme Court decision warrants a change in decades-old law to prevent rises in malpractice suits filed and the practice of “defensive medicine.”

Tagged with: David Prosser informed consent Jim Ott malpractice Wisconsin Supreme Court

A bill debated before the state Assembly’s Judiciary Committee on Thursday would overturn more than 100 years of Wisconsin law that has barred juries from considering collateral-source evidence.

Tagged with: Simpson & Deardorff

If a bill moving through the state Capitol becomes law, Dave Enz says he would be more likely to sue the owner of a wind farm he argues drove his wife and him away from their Brown County home.

Tagged with: Frank Lasee wind farms

A bill meant to bring transparency to asbestos and other personal lawsuits is flawed, a leading proponent of the bill testified Thursday, although the principle behind the proposed legislation is sound.

Tagged with: Andre Jacque asbestos