WI: Amid controversy, Supreme Court's new liberal majority hires Walker appointee as state director [View all]

[RandySF]

The Wisconsin Supreme Court’s new liberal majority chose an appointee of former Republican Gov. Scott Walker to serve as interim director of state courts just hours after the court’s conservative Chief Justice Annette Ziegler penned a letter Wednesday slamming the majority’s decision to fire the previous director, Randy Koschnick, as being politically motivated.

The court announced that Milwaukee County Judge Audrey Skwierawski will assume the role of interim director starting Thursday. Skwierawski was appointed to the bench by Walker in 2018.

The court’s liberals, who gained control of the body on Tuesday for the first time in 15 years with the swearing in of Justice Janet Protasiewicz, fired Koschnick in a three-sentence letter, writing that he would be let go at the end of the day Wednesday.

Koschnick, who has held his job since 2017, told media outlets earlier this week that he had received a call from Justice Jill Karofsky saying he’d be fired once the new majority was in place.

None of the liberal-leaning justices have publicly provided a reason for the firing. Koschnick and Ziegler have speculated that it is because of his conservative politics. In 2009, the former Jefferson County Circuit Court judge ran against then-Chief Justice Shirley Abrahamson for a seat on the Supreme Court.




https://wisconsinexaminer.com/brief/new-supreme-court-majoritys-firing-of-state-courts-director-stirs-controversy/