Waukesha County Circuit Court Judge Maria S. Lazar will transition to the Court of Appeals, and 16 new circuit court judges will take the bench Aug. 1 as a result of the April 5 Spring Election. Also on April 5, a new judge took the bench in Rock County, where Gov. Tony Evers appointed Judge Ashley Morse to fill the vacancy created by Judge Daniel T. Dillon’s retirement. Lazar defeated incumbent Lori S. Kornblum for a seat on the District II Court of Appeals. Lazar was first elected to the Waukesha County bench in 2015 and was re-elected in 2021. Prior to becoming a judge, Lazar served as a Wisconsin Assistant Attorney General and previously worked in private practice.
Kornblum was appointed to the Court of Appeals by Evers, effective Jan. 4, to fill a vacancy created by the departure of Judge Paul F. Reilly. Kornblum was in private practice at the time of her appointment.
Court of Appeals judges Thomas M. Hruz, District III, and Brian W. Blanchard, District IV, were unchallenged in the Spring Election.
Morse’s term will expire on July 31, 2023. Before her appointment, Morse had worked for the Wisconsin State Public Defender’s Office since 2010, and has been based in Janesville since 2014. Morse lives in Janesville and is a graduate of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and of the UW Law School. She is the first woman of color to serve on the Rock County Circuit Court.
Circuit court elections
Seven of the 16 newly elected judges and two incumbents won contested circuit court races; one incumbent was defeated; and four of the new circuit court judges will serve in newly created branches in Adams, Eau Claire, Vilas and Waushara counties.
Contested races
Iowa County
Iowa County District Attorney Matt Allen of Dodgeville defeated family law attorney Rhonda R. Hazen of Barneveld for the Iowa County Circuit Court seat now held by Judge Margaret M. Koehler. Koehler, who was first elected in 2016, did not seek re-election.
Kewaunee County
Kewaunee County Corporation Counsel Jeffrey R. Wisnicky of Kewaunee defeated Brown County Assistant District Attorney Kimberly A. Hardtke of Luxemburg. Wisnicky will fill the vacancy left by the death of Kewaunee County Circuit Court Judge Keith A. Mehn. Mehn, who died of cancer in December 2021, had previously declared he would not seek re-election. Mehn was first elected in 2016.
Marathon County
Atty. Ricky T. Cveykus defeated Atty. William A. Harris for the Branch 2 bench held by Marathon County Circuit Court Judge Gregory B. Huber. Huber, who was first elected in 2004 and twice re-elected, did not seek re-election.
Oconto County
Incumbent Oconto County Circuit Court Judge Jay N. Conley defeated District Attorney Ed Burke to retain the Branch 2 bench. Conley was first elected in 2010 and re-elected in 2016.
Portage County
Portage County District Attorney Louis J. Molepske, Jr. defeated Atty. Stephen W. Sawyer for the Branch 2 bench now held by Portage County Circuit Court Judge Robert J. Shannon. Shannon, who was first appointed in 2015 and elected in 2016, did not seek re-election.
Sauk County
Incumbent Sauk County Circuit Court Judge Michael P. Screnock defeated Atty. Blake J. Duren, who has a practice in Reedsburg. Screnock was first appointed in 2015 and elected in 2016.
Vilas County (new branch)
Private practice Atty. Daniel Overbey of Woodruff defeated Atty. Meg Colleen O’Marro for the newly created Vilas County Circuit Court Branch 2 bench.
Winnebago County
Circuit Court Commissioner Bryan D. Keberlein defeated Family Court Commissioner Lisa Krueger for the Branch 3 judgeship now held by Chief Judge Barbara Hart Key, Winnebago County Circuit Court. Key, who was first elected in 1998 and re-elected three times, did not seek re-election.
Atty. Michael Gibbs of Oshkosh defeated incumbent Winnebago County Circuit Court Judge LaKeisha Haase. Haase, a former private practice attorney and assistant state public defender, was appointed to the bench in 2021. Gibbs is in private practice in Fond du Lac.
Uncontested new branches
New judges will take the bench uncontested in three other newly created circuit court branches. 2019 Wisconsin Act 184 authorized the Director of State Courts to select four counties for new branches each year in 2021, 2022 and 2023.
Adams County
Adams County Circuit Court, Branch 2: District Attorney Tania M. Bonnett of Oxford.
Eau Claire County
Eau Claire County Circuit Court, Branch 6: Private practice attorney Beverly Wickstrom of Eau Claire.
Waushara County
Waushara County Circuit Court Branch 2: Atty. Scott C. Blader, who previously served as U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin and as Waushara County District Attorney.
Other uncontested races
Six judges-elect were uncontested in five counties, where incumbents did not run for office.
Dane County
Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin Diane Schlipper of Madison won the Branch 3 bench now held by Dane County Circuit Court Judge Valerie Bailey-Rihn. Bailey-Rihn, who was first elected in 2016, did not seek re-election.
Fond du Lac County
Private practice Atty. Laura Lavey will take the Branch 2 bench held by Fond du Lac County Circuit Court Judge Peter L. Grimm, who did not seek re-election.
Fond du Lac County District Attorney Douglas R. Edelstein will take the Branch 5 bench now held by Fond du Lac County Circuit Court Judge Paul G. Czisny. Czisny, who did not seek to return to the office, was appointed in 2021.
Lincoln County
Lincoln County District Attorney Galen Bayne-Allison won the Branch 1 bench now held by Lincoln County Circuit Court Judge Jay R. Tlusty. Tlusty, who did not seek re-election, was first elected in 2004 and twice re-elected.
Milwaukee County
Milwaukee County Family Court Commissioner Nidhi Kashyap won the Branch 25 bench now held by Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Stephanie Rothstein. Rothstein, who did not seek re-election, was first appointed in 2009; elected in 2010 and re-elected in 2016.
Rusk County
Rusk County District Attorney Annette Barna will replace Rusk County Circuit Court Judge Steven P. Anderson. Anderson, who did not seek re-election, was first elected in 2010 and re-elected in 2016.
Third Branch eNews is an online monthly newsletter of the Director of State Courts Office. If you are interested in contributing an article about your department’s programs or accomplishments, contact your department head. Information about judicial retirements and judicial obituaries may be submitted to: Sara.Foster@wicourts.gov