News

The Wisconsin Supreme Court heard two cases before an audience of students, educators, attorneys, judges, local officials, and community members on October 13 at the Heyde Center for the Arts in Chippewa Falls, bringing the work of the state’s highest court directly to the Chippewa Valley through its Justice on Wheels program.

The visit marked the 34th stop for Justice on Wheels, which has taken Supreme Court oral arguments to communities outside Madison since 1993.

“The Supreme Court may sit in Madison, but it serves people in every part of Wisconsin,” Chief Justice Jill J. Karofsky said. “The people who serve on the Court come from communities across this state. So do the cases that reach us and the people whose lives are affected by the law.”

Chippewa Falls offered an especially fitting setting for the program. Justice Susan M. Crawford grew up in the community, and the area has ties to Wisconsin’s judiciary dating back more than a century. Former Justice Roujet D. Marshall practiced law and served as a local judge in Chippewa Falls before later joining the Wisconsin Supreme Court

Chippewa County Circuit Court Judge Benjamin Lane welcomed the Court and used the visit to help students understand how cases move through Wisconsin’s court system and eventually reach the Supreme Court. Students were also at the center of a fifth-grade civics essay contest held in connection with the visit. The contest asked students: “What do you think is the best way a citizen can positively impact the state of Wisconsin?”

Justice Janet C. Protasiewicz recognized Claire Berlin of Bloomer Middle School as the contest winner, along with honorees Charli Haeny of Stillson Elementary School and Jackie Scray of Southview Elementary School.

“Civics is not just learning the names of the three branches of government or memorizing how a bill becomes a law,” Justice Protasiewicz said. “It is also about understanding that you are part of a community, that your choices matter, and that there are all kinds of ways to make that community stronger.”

The Court heard oral arguments in State v. John R. Phelan and Friends of Blue Mound State Park v. Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. Before each argument, local attorneys Karleigh Miller of Cohen Law Office and Victoria Czech of Czech Law Office provided plain-language introductions to help students and other audience members understand the cases and the legal questions before the Court.

The visit concluded with a luncheon and question-and-answer session with area judges, attorneys, and local officials, organized with the Chippewa County Bar Association.

Justice on Wheels is designed to give people across Wisconsin an opportunity to observe Supreme Court proceedings firsthand and better understand the appellate process and the role of the judicial branch.

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CONTACT:
Stephen Kelley
Public Information Officer
communications@wicourts.gov