Governor Scott Walker appoints Rebecca Bradley to Wisconsin Supreme Court

Gov. Scott Walker has appointed conservative-backed appellate judge Rebecca Bradley to the Wisconsin Supreme Court.

Bradley fills the vacancy left by the sudden death of Justice N. Patrick Crooks, 77, on September 21 at the court in Madison. The widely expected move, first reported by The Associated Press earlier Friday, will have Bradley finishing the term of late Justice Patrick Crooks. He says she’s the best person to be on the court today, and that’s also the case for after the election in April.

Governor Walker appointed Judge Bradley to the Milwaukee County Circuit Court in 2012 and District I Court of Appeals in May of 2015.

“It is an honor to have the opportunity to appoint Rebecca Bradley to our state’s highest court”, said Governor Walker.

Gov. Scott Walker plans to appoint a conservative-backed appeals court judge to the Wisconsin Supreme Court, giving her an advantage of incumbency heading into the spring election. Further, the “green banana” card they were going to play got pulled out of the deck now that she’ll have Supreme Court experience.

“I think it’s incumbent upon any governor, Democrat or Republican, to put the best person on the bench, and my view is I shouldn’t disqualify someone just because they’re an announced candidate”, Walker told reporters Friday. “I am running to be the people’s choice for Supreme Court. Bradley will serve out the term before sitting for election in 2016”. Bradley had already declared her candidacy for that race.

The appointment expands conservatives’ grip on the high court to 5-2.

Bradley said she would let her work over the next six months demonstrate her capabilities to voters in the upcoming election. Judge JoAnne Kloppenburg said a vote for Kloppenburg would be a vote “for the integrity of our judicial system and against partisan politics and special interests”. “This power grab sets a bad precedent and doesn’t pass the smell test”. “However, I question why a judicial candidate would want to be so closely linked to a governor with a 37 percent approval rating”.

Two other applicants for the temporary appointment, Dane County Circuit Judge Jim Troupis and Madison attorney Claude Covelli, didn’t immediately return messages seeking comment.

Senate Minority Leader Jennifer Shilling, D-La Crosse, said Walker should have allowed voters to decide on the next justice.

Bradley earned her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and Business Economics at Marquette University in 1993.