NEW INFORMATION: Justice Patrick Crooks dies at the Capitol

“Justice Crooks was an outstanding jurist, a thoughtful decision-maker and a colleague with a wonderful Irish sense of humor”, Roggensack said.

Ball, a history professor at Marquette, found that over the seven terms during which the current justices served together, Crooks indeed sided with justices Shirley Abrahamson and Ann Bradley (seen as the court’s liberal faction) about ten percent more often than did Justice David Prosser, 62% to 53%.

“While we will all remember him for his legal prowess, I will miss his quick wit and sense of humor”, Ziegler said.

Patrick Crooks died Monday in his chambers, the court’s chief justice confirmed.

Roggensack said Crooks died in his chambers.

Gov. Scott Walker could appoint someone to fill Crooks’ seat ahead of the election, the AP reported.

The 77-year-old Crooks was typically viewed as a swing vote between the four-justice conservative majority and the two-justice liberal-leaning minority.

Crooks did not attend a state Supreme Court hearing on Friday.

Crooks, 77, had previously announced that he would not seek election to a third term next spring.

“He was dedicated to the law, to truth, and to justice, and this is truly a sad day for our state”. From 1964 to 1966, he served as a U.S. Army officer at the Pentagon, in the Office of the Judge Advocate General.

Crooks was married with six children, five of whom are lawyers. “Serving with him was an honor and a privilege”.

Appeals court judges Rebecca Bradley and JoAnne Kloppenburg and Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Joe Donald have already filed paperwork to run for Crooks’ seat in the April election. Gov. Scott Walker also made note of Crooks’ death before announcing his departure from the presidential race Monday, offering condolences to the Crooks family.

“I am shocked and saddened at the sudden passing of Justice Crooks”. Laurel Patrick, spokeswoman for Walker, said the governor would make that “determination at a more appropriate time”.