Wisconsin voters will return to the polls on April 1 to elect a replacement for retiring Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Ann Walsh Bradley. Waukesha County Judge Brad Schimel will face off against Dane County Judge Susan Crawford in an election that could reshape the ideological balance of Wisconsin’s highest court.
The Marquette University Law School hosted Judge Schimel in a meet and greet event Feb. 18, where he talked about a variety of topics from his career as a prosecutor to his campaign for State Supreme Court.
In the event hosted by the Lubar Center, Schimel talked about his background. Born in West Allis, he attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison Law School, where he worked to help incarcerated inmates prepare for reentry into society.
Schimel went on to talk about some of the experiences he had in his over 20 years working as a Waukesha County prosecutor. He explained that there were many instances where he would wake up at 3 a.m. to go in-person to a crime scene, highlighting how this dedication allowed him to be more adept to the smaller details of a case.
“There were countless times that there was something that would have surprised anybody else in that trial, but I knew the answer because I was standing [at the scene] while they were doing the investigation,” Schimel said.
On choosing to run for Supreme Court, Schimel said he wants to restore objectivity to the judiciary. He criticized the 2023 campaign of incumbent Justice Janet Protasiewicz, citing her rhetoric on abortion and state legislative maps. He claimed Protasiewicz made promises about rulings before cases were filed and that judges need to put their own political views aside and apply the law as it is written.
“If you can’t make that commitment, you have no business putting on a black robe,” Schimel said.
Philosophically, Schimel labeled himself a “judicial conservative.” He added that the foundation judicial conservatism is that judges do not write the law.
“You interpret law when you have to, but you apply the law as it’s written,” Schimel said.
Schimel also labeled himself as an originalist, saying that the U.S. Constitution and the amendments should be viewed from the perspective of the founding fathers and those who wrote the subsequent amendments. He added that he believed the judicial branch was intended to be the weakest branch of the U.S. government.
“[The courts] are always intended under our system to not get headlines. You need to respect that the legislature has powers that you aren’t to invade; The governor has powers that you aren’t to invade,” Schimel said.
Elliott Sgrignuoli, a junior in the College of Arts and Sciences and chair of the Marquette College Republicans, expressed his support for Schimel.
“Marquette University College Republicans proudly support Brad Schimel for the Wisconsin Supreme Court,” Sgrignuoli said in an email.
In contrast, Jasleen Kaur, a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences and chair of the Marquette College Democrats, expressed how some Wisconsin liberals are rallying behind Schimel’s opponent, Judge Susan Crawford.
“In the current state of the nation, it is important that we don’t succumb to the influences of billionaires who don’t tend to give the common man the time of day,” Kaur said, referencing Elon Musk’s recent $1 million contribution to Schimel’s campaign.
The Lubar Center will host Crawford on Feb. 28. WISN 12 is also hosting a debate between Crawford and Schimel March 12, which will take place in the Lubar Center.
This story was written by Sahil Gupta. He can be reached at sahil.gupta@marquette.edu.
