Janet Claire Protasiewicz (/ˌproʊtəˈseɪwɪts/; proh-tə-SAY-wits; born December 3, 1962) is an American attorney and jurist from Wisconsin who has served as a justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court since August 2023. Protasiewicz was elected to the court in the 2023 election, after previously serving as a Milwaukee County circuit court judge in from 2014 to 2023 and as an assistant district attorney in Milwaukee for 26 years.
Janet Protasiewicz | |
|---|---|
 Protasiewicz in 2023 | |
| Justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court | |
| Assumed office August 1, 2023 | |
| Preceded by | Patience D. Roggensack |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Janet Claire Protasiewicz December 3, 1962 Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S. |
| Spouse(s) |
Patrick Madden
(m. 1997; div. 1997)Greg Sell
(m. 2006; died 2024) |
| Education | University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee (BA) Marquette University (JD) |
| Signature |  |
Early life and education
editProtasiewicz was born and raised on the south side of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She graduated from Pius XI High School in 1981. She earned her bachelor's degree in education from the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee in 1985 and her Juris Doctor from the Marquette University Law School in 1988.[1]
Career
editShortly after graduation from law school, Protasiewicz joined the office of the Milwaukee County District Attorney. She remained with the office 26 years as an assistant district attorney.[2]
While working in the district attorney's office, she was a member of the employees' union. She participated in several of the protests against 2011 Wisconsin Act 10, the so-called "Budget Repair Bill," which stripped many collective bargaining rights from Wisconsin unions.[3]
In 2013, she made her first run for public office, running for a Milwaukee County circuit judge position against incumbent Rebecca Bradley. Bradley had just been appointed to the position by Republican Governor Scott Walker, but managed to prevail in the election.[4] Protasiewicz received 47% of the vote.[5]
The following year, however, another Milwaukee County judge, Charles Kahn, announced his retirement. Protasiewicz ran for the open seat and won without opposition.[6][7] She was re-elected without opposition in 2020.[8] As a circuit judge, Protasiewicz was assigned to family court, and had previously presided over felony, domestic violence, and drug court cases.[1]
2023 Wisconsin Supreme Court election
editIn the spring of 2022, Protasiewicz announced her candidacy for Wisconsin Supreme Court in the 2023 election. Ultimately, three other candidates entered the race for the seat being vacated by the retirement of justice Patience Roggensack. Protasiewicz came in first in the February nonpartisan primary, securing a place in the April general election.[9] Her opponent in the general election was former Wisconsin Supreme Court justice Daniel Kelly.[10] Although Wisconsin Supreme Court elections are nonpartisan, Kelly was endorsed by the Republican Party of Wisconsin and Protasiewicz was endorsed by the Democratic Party of Wisconsin.[11][12][13]
Protasiewicz was candid during her campaign for Supreme Court about her philosophy and values on issues such as abortion, gerrymandering, LGBTQ rights, and environmental protections.[1] She supports abortion and opposed the state's then Republican-drawn legislative maps.[14]
The 2023 Wisconsin Supreme Court election gained nationwide attention and became the most expensive judicial election in American history by a wide margin.[15] Together, the candidates spent about $42 million, of which Protasiewicz and supportive entities spent $23.3 million.[16] A significant portion of Protasiewicz's funding came via the Wisconsin Democratic Party, whose largest donations of $1 million each came from investor/philanthropist George Soros, Illinois governor J. B. Pritzker, and businesswomen/philanthropists Stacy and Lynn Schusterman.[17] Over the final stretch of the race, Protasiewicz outraised Kelly more than 5 to 1, although that gap grew closer once third-party entities were included.[18]
Protasiewicz won the April 4 general election, defeating Kelly by 11.02 percentage points, receiving 24.8% more votes. News organizations projected her victory within a few hours of polls closing.[19][20][21]
Wisconsin Supreme Court
editProtasiewicz was sworn in as a justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court on August 1, 2023, at the Capitol Rotunda.[22] The ceremony lasted for about an hour, of which a bit over 20 minutes was devoted to a speech from Protasiewicz where she highlighted her biography and upbringing. Fellow justices Ann Walsh Bradley and Rebecca Dallet also spoke at the event.[23]
Media outlets viewed Protasiewicz's accession as an ideological shift for the court, marking the return of liberal control of the court for the first time since 2007.[24][25]
Impeachment threat
editWithin a month of her inauguration, Republicans in the state legislature began threatening to impeach her. This was tied to demands that she should recuse herself from cases challenging Wisconsin's gerrymandered legislative maps. Republicans accused her of having pre-judged the case, because of comments she made during the campaign, and complaining that she had received funding from the Democratic Party of Wisconsin. Those allegations were also brought to the Wisconsin Judicial Commission, a nonpartisan body which reviews complaints against Wisconsin judges. The Judicial Commission dismissed the complaints against Protasiewicz.[26][27]
Since the removal of Protasiewicz would have just enabled Democratic governor Tony Evers to appoint another Democratic-friendly justice to the court, Republicans discussed further prolonging the impeachment process to keep Protasiewicz in limbo, since a judge could not take part in any cases after being impeached but prior to their trial in the Senate. The impeachment threat gained national attention and state Democrats mobilized to defend Protasiewicz.[28] At the height of the controversy, Republican Assembly speaker Robin Vos announced that he would seek advice from a panel of former justices that would investigate whether impeachment was warranted.[29] It was later revealed that the panel consisted of former justices David Prosser Jr. and Jon P. Wilcox, and former chief justice Patience Roggensack. Prosser made his opinion public in an October 6 letter to Vos, saying, "there should be no effort to impeach Justice Protasiewicz on anything we know now. Impeachment is so serious, severe, and rare that it should not be considered unless the subject has committed a crime, or the subject has committed indisputable 'corrupt conduct' while 'in office.'"[30] Wilcox soon announced that he had a similar opinion.
In late December 2023, Vos confirmed that the Assembly was unlikely to launch an impeachment of Protasiewicz over the redistricting case.[31]
Personal life
editProtasiewicz was raised by her mother and stepfather in a Catholic family.[1] She resides in the city of Franklin.[1] Her husband, attorney Gregory Sell, died of cancer in July 2024.[32]
Protasiewicz was previously married to Patrick Madden, a Wisconsin circuit judge. At the time, she was an assistant district attorney in her 30s, while he was a Wisconsin circuit judge in his 70s with three adult children. The marriage lasted just a few months and ended contentiously.[1] One of Madden's children later alleged that Protasiewicz abused him, a claim Protasiewicz strongly denied.[33]
Electoral history
editWisconsin Circuit Court (2013)
edit| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Election, April 2, 2013 | |||||
| Nonpartisan | Rebecca Bradley (incumbent) | 55,177 | 53.00% | ||
| Nonpartisan | Janet Protasiewicz | 48,685 | 46.77% | ||
| Write-in | 237 | 0.23% | |||
| Plurality | 6,492 | 6.24% | |||
| Total votes | 104,099 | 100.0% | |||
Wisconsin Supreme Court (2023)
edit| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Primary Election, February 21, 2023[9] | |||||
| Nonpartisan | Janet Protasiewicz | 446,403 | 46.42% | ||
| Nonpartisan | Daniel Kelly | 232,751 | 24.20% | −25.84pp | |
| Nonpartisan | Jennifer Dorow | 210,100 | 21.85% | ||
| Nonpartisan | Everett Mitchell | 71,895 | 7.48% | ||
| Write-in | 516 | 0.05% | -0.13pp | ||
| Total votes | 961,665 | 100.0% | +36.38pp | ||
| General Election, April 4, 2023[34] | |||||
| Nonpartisan | Janet Protasiewicz | 1,021,822 | 55.43% | ||
| Nonpartisan | Daniel Kelly | 818,391 | 44.39% | −0.31pp | |
| Write-in | 3,267 | 0.18% | +0.11pp | ||
| Plurality | 202,652 | 11.04% | +0.48pp | ||
| Total votes | 1,843,480 | 100.0% | +18.93pp | ||
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f Hess, Corrinne; Bice, Daniel (March 17, 2023). "What Janet Protasiewicz says about her abortion views, growing up in a Catholic family and why she discusses her values". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved March 25, 2023.
- ^ "Janet Protasiewicz on the 2023 Wisconsin Supreme Court race". PBS Wisconsin. Retrieved March 31, 2023.
- ^ Johnson, Shawn (March 30, 2023). "Janet Protasiewicz has campaigned on Democratic issues. If she wins, the Wisconsin Supreme Court could weigh in on them". Wisconsin Public Radio. Retrieved March 31, 2023.
- ^ Vielmetti, Bruce (April 2, 2013). "Scott Walker appointee Rebecca Bradley re-elected judge in Milwaukee County". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
- ^ a b Canvass Results for 2013 Spring Election - 4/2/2013 (PDF) (Report). Wisconsin Government Accountability Board. May 8, 2013. p. 5. Retrieved March 25, 2023 – via Wisconsin Elections Commission.
- ^ "Five contested judicial races in Tuesday's election". Wisconsin Law Journal. March 31, 2014. Retrieved March 24, 2023.
- ^ Canvass Results for 2014 Spring Election - 4/1/2014 (PDF) (Report). Wisconsin Government Accountability Board. April 15, 2014. p. 5. Retrieved March 25, 2023 – via Wisconsin Elections Commission.
- ^ Canvass Results for 2020 Spring Election and Presidential Preference Vote - 4/7/2020 (PDF) (Report). Wisconsin Elections Commission. May 4, 2020. p. 7. Retrieved March 25, 2023.
- ^ a b Canvass Results for 2023 Spring Primary - 2/21/2023 (PDF) (Report). Wisconsin Elections Commission. March 6, 2023. pp. 1–2. Retrieved March 7, 2023.
- ^ Kuhagen, Christopher (February 21, 2023). "What to know about Janet Protasiewicz, liberal candidate facing Daniel Kelly in the 2023 Wisconsin Supreme Court election". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved March 25, 2023.
- ^ Epstein, Reid J. (April 4, 2023). "Wisconsin's High-Stakes Supreme Court Race: What to Watch". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved April 4, 2023.
- ^ Johnson, Shawn (March 30, 2023). "Dan Kelly says his politics don't matter in Wisconsin's Supreme Court race. Supporters say Republican priorities hang in the balance". Wisconsin Public Radio. Retrieved April 4, 2023.
- ^ Shur, Alexander (February 21, 2023). "Janet Protasiewicz to face Dan Kelly in Wisconsin Supreme Court general election". Wisconsin State Journal. Retrieved February 21, 2023.
- ^ Johnson, Shawn (March 30, 2023). "Janet Protasiewicz has campaigned on Democratic issues. If she wins, the Wisconsin Supreme Court could weigh in on them". Wisconsin Public Radio. Retrieved April 1, 2023.
- ^ Shawn, Johnson (April 2, 2023). "In a supreme court race like no other, Wisconsin's political future is up for grabs". NPR.
- ^ "Spending in 2023 Wisconsin Supreme Court race tops $42 million". PBS Wisconsin. Associated Press. Retrieved September 21, 2023.
- ^ Beck, Molly; Bice, Daniel. "Billionaires George Soros, J.B. Pritzker and the Uihleins pour millions into Wisconsin's Supreme Court race in final weeks". Journal Sentinel. Retrieved September 21, 2023.
- ^ "Protasiewicz outraises Kelly in Wisconsin Supreme Court campaign". PBS Wisconsin. Associated Press. Retrieved September 21, 2023.
- ^ Epstein, Reid J. (April 4, 2023). "Liberal wins Wisconsin court race, in victory for abortion rights backers". The New York Times. Retrieved April 5, 2023.
- ^ Bauer, Scott (April 4, 2023). "Liberal wins Wisconsin court seat ahead of abortion ruling". Associated Press News. Retrieved April 5, 2023.
- ^ Edelman, Adam (April 4, 2023). "Liberals gain control of the Wisconsin state Supreme Court for the first time in 15 years". NBC News. Retrieved April 5, 2023.
- ^ Smith, Matt (July 31, 2023). "Justice-elect Janet Protasiewicz to be sworn in Tuesday as next Wisconsin Supreme Court justice". WISN. Retrieved August 1, 2023.
- ^ Johnson, Shawn (August 1, 2023). "Justice Janet Protasiewicz is sworn in, giving liberals control of Wisconsin Supreme Court". Wisconsin Public Radio. Retrieved August 2, 2023.
- ^ Bauer, Scott (August 1, 2023). "In Wisconsin, a court that almost overturned Biden's win flips to liberal control". Associated Press News. Retrieved August 1, 2023.
- ^ "Janet Protasiewicz will be sworn in today as Supreme Court justice, signaling an ideological shift". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved August 1, 2023.
- ^ Lehr, Sarah (August 14, 2023). "Wisconsin Assembly Speaker renews calls for Protasiewicz to recuse herself from certain cases". Wisconsin Public Radio. Retrieved September 11, 2023.
- ^ Epstein, Reid J. (September 6, 2023). "Why Republicans Could Impeach a Liberal Judge Before She's Heard a Case". The New York Times. Retrieved September 11, 2023.
- ^ Opoien, Jessie (September 6, 2023). "Wisconsin Democrats pledge a $4 million-plus blitz to counter GOP on impeaching Protasiewicz". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved December 21, 2023.
- ^ "Wisconsin GOP leader creates panel to probe criteria for impeachment against liberal state Supreme Court justice - CBS News". CBS News. September 13, 2023. Retrieved September 22, 2023.
- ^ Beck, Molly (October 10, 2023). "Robin Vos now silent on impeachment after former justice David Prosser tells him not to pursue". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved October 10, 2023.
- ^ Bauer, Scott (December 21, 2023). "Robin Vos says impeachment of Wisconsin Supreme Court justice now 'super unlikely'". Wisconsin State Journal. Retrieved December 21, 2023.
- ^ "Gregory "Greg" J. Sell". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. July 31, 2024. Retrieved October 14, 2024.
- ^ Bice, Daniel (March 22, 2023). "Supreme Court candidate Janet Protasiewicz says she's weighing a lawsuit over claims of decades-ago abuse, racism". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
- ^ 2023 Spring Election - Supreme Court - County by County Report (PDF) (Report). Wisconsin Elections Commission. April 17, 2023. Retrieved April 21, 2023.