Wisconsin Chief Justice Annette Ziegler Wants Her Oompa-Loompa NOW!
Liberals winning elections is not a ‘coup.’
Liberals flipping the Wisconsin Supreme Court was a major victory for democracy and basic human rights. However, just on an entertainment basis, the former conservative majority’s ongoing high-dudgeon freakout has been a joy to behold.
Conservatives were especially upset that the new liberal majority started acting like it owned the place. This is a common issue with conservatives: When they win, they’re fully in charge with a “mandate” from the gerrymandered people. When they lose, they demand full veto power over those crazy liberals.
When the liberal majority parted ways with the director of Wisconsin’s court system, Randy Koschnick, who was appointed under the previous conservative majority, Chief Justice Annette Ziegler lectured the liberals: “We are a collegial court, not a court of four,” she wrote insufferably. “I expect better of my colleagues.”
Koschnick filed a complaint against the liberal justices and his replacement, Audrey Skwierawski, the interim director of the state court system. He insists he was wrongly terminated. I’d just like to add here that Wisconsin remains an at-will state for the average citizen, whom employers can fire for almost any reason. Wisconsin conservatives are also notoriously anti-union. So, in layman’s terms, suck it up, buttercup.
Ziegler seems distraught over losing Koschnick, but what probably really pissed her off is that Skwierawski’s appointment weakens her own powers. The conservative majority elected Ziegler to another two-year term, but Skwierawski and a newly created committee will assume much of the chief justice’s work.
This move has Ziegler fuming, as you can see here.
Fellow conservative Rebecca Bradley is also real mad.
Wisconsin voters overwhelmingly elected Janet Protasiewicz to the state supreme court and gave liberals the majority. They didn’t intend for a newly appointed conservative chief justice to spend the next few years keeping that majority in check.
The Associated Press obtained two emails that Ziegler sent to the liberal justices and Skwierawski, demanding that Skwierawski stop doing her job.
“You are making a mess of the judiciary, the court and the institution for years to come,” she said. “This must stop. [...] I have no confidence in the recent hostile takeover and the chaotic effect it has had on the court, staff, and the overall stable functioning of the courts.”
Her choice of language is also peak, aggrieved conservative. She suggests that the liberal majority isn’t legitimate but a “hostile takeover.” She has zero respect for Wisconsin voters and the clear choice they made.
Ziegler wrote in another nastygram Monday: “It has come to my attention that you have been signing my reserve judge orders without my knowledge or approval. You never asked me for permission. You do not have my permission. Stop. These orders are in my name. You have no lawful authority to sign them. If you have signed anything else under my name, please advise immediately.”
Skwierawski informed her cyberstalker that she didn’t need her permission to perform these new duties. “I had the legal authority and responsibility as well as the moral obligation to sign the orders for reserve judges,” she replied.
Ziegler, with all her new free time, sent more angry emails to the justices accusing the liberal majority of acting illegally, damaging the court’s internal operations, and ruining its public image. She’s also outright refused to schedule weekly meeting with the liberals’ “invented committee.” Not to get overly pedantic, but I think all committees are “invented.”
“I am not willing to violate my oath or the constitution,” she wrote, apparently taking a defiant stance against unnatural committees. “You know that this invented ‘committee’ is in violation of your oath, the constitution and longstanding court practice. It is illegitimate and unenforceable.”
Ziegler contends that Skwierawski can’t hold her current position because she’s an elected Milwaukee circuit court judge. She believes this so strongly, in fact, she plans to conduct a national search for a new director of state courts — you know, Skwierawski’s job.
“Again, I will not condone such lawless destruction of the constitution, the judiciary, or the court,” Ziegler ranted. “For 40 years, the role of the Chief Justice has been understood and respected. Your short term goals will cause long term, irreparable damage to the judiciary. What a historical disgrace.”
Ziegler needs to remember some recent history: Back in December 2020, she voted with Bradley, and former Chief Justice Patience Roggensack, in favor of Donald Trump’s meritless election suit. Conservative Brian Hagedorn voted with the liberals and received death threats and harassment from the MAGA cult. That’s actually disgraceful.
[Politico]
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This is the same conservative group of justices who supported stripping the Governor’s office of many key powers because the people had the temerity to elect a Democratic candidate, yes?
You know what they can do with their outrage.
"Rebecca Bradley is so mad in this picture that we actually bought the license from AP."
Worth
every
penny