Candidate: Chief Justice Shirley Abrahamson

Career: Shirley Abrahamson began practicing law with a small firm in Madison in 1962. Governor Patrick J. Lucey appointed her to the Supreme Court in 1976. In 1996, U.S. Chief Justice William Rehnquist, a Wisconsin native, presided over her swearing-in ceremony as Chief Justice. With this, the trailblazing judge went from being the first woman to serve on Wisconsin's high court to being the first woman Chief Justice.

During Judge Abrahamson’s tenure leading the Wisconsin Supreme Court and the state court system, the seven-member elected Court has been recognized by prominent legal publications for the national impact of its decisions.

Under her leadership, the Wisconsin Supreme Court has conducted oral arguments in 17 different cities to enhance access to the judicial process for everyone. She has traveled to every county in the state, frequently meeting with sheriffs, district attorneys, police chiefs, and business and civic leaders to discuss the judicial system. Justice Abrahamson lectures at the state's two law schools, Marquette University and the University of Wisconsin-Madison; and she speaks regularly at service organizations, civic clubs, elementary and high schools, and charitable organizations around the State. She has read stories to elementary school children and ridden with law enforcement on patrol in communities large and small.

Wisconsin has always elected its Supreme Court Justices. Justice Abrahamson has won three elections, each time with opposition. In her last election, she won 63 percent of the vote, carrying every county but one.

Personal: Justice Abrahamson and her husband, Seymour, raised a family in Wisconsin. They have a son, daughter-in-law, and four-year-old grandson.

Website: http://abrahamson2009.com/

Candidate: Judge Randy R. Koschnick

Education: Judge Koschnick graduated from Whitefish Bay High School, received a Bachelors of Science Degree from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point (1982), and earned his Juris Doctorate from Hamline University School of Law (1985).

Career: Judge Koschnick has distinguished himself as a leader in Wisconsin’s legal community serving as Presiding Judge of the Jefferson County Circuit Court and Deputy Chief Judge of Wisconsin’s Third Judicial District. He is an award-winning jurist with nearly 25 years of legal experience covering a broad spectrum of the law including the Circuit Court, State Public Defenders’ Office, county prosecutor’s office, and Board Member of the State Bar of Wisconsin Criminal Law Section.

Judge Koschnick was elected to the Jefferson County Circuit Court, Branch 4, in 1999 and re-elected to the bench in 2005. Judge Koschnick is a recipient of the Wisconsin Law Journal’s 2008 Leaders in the Law Award for implementing “…a number of significant changes, designed to save the taxpayers of Jefferson County money and enhance the public safety, while improving the speed at which cases are processed in the county.” Under his leadership, Jefferson County Circuit Court rose from 18th to 2nd statewide for overall median case age at disposition within the first twelve months of his new case assignment plan.

Active in Wisconsin’s legal community, Judge Koschnick served as Board Member of the State Bar of Wisconsin Criminal Law Section (2001-2005). The Criminal Law Section membership consists of prosecutors and defense attorneys dedicated to improving the quality of criminal justice in Wisconsin, including providing opinions and advice to the state legislature on proposed legislation affecting the criminal trial courts. In addition, he was selected to serve on the State Assembly’s Criminal Justice Reforms Task Force, which enhanced state law by implementing new, evidence-based practices in the areas of eyewitness identification and police interrogation of criminal suspects. These reforms were adopted primarily to increase the reliability of criminal convictions and, at the same time, to reduce the likelihood of wrongful convictions. Judge Koschnick’s expertise in criminal law has allowed him to lecture at legal training seminars sponsored by the Wisconsin Judicial Education Office, as well as at the Wisconsin District Attorney’s Conference and the Wisconsin State Public Defender’s Conference.

Judge Koschnick is perhaps best known for his Circuit Court decision in State v. Knapp, often referred to as the “Bloody Shirt Case,” a case which progressed to the United States Supreme Court.

A strict constructionist of the law and an advocate for victim’s rights, Judge Koschnick helped create the Jefferson County Victim Impact Panel. He is the panel’s Coordinator and Moderator (2003-present). His work at the county level includes service as a Board Member of Jefferson County’s People Against Domestic Abuse (1996-1999) and past President of the Jefferson County Bar Association.

Prior to his nearly 10 years on the Circuit Court, Judge Koschnick served 14 years as public defender in La Crosse County and Jefferson County, where he was elevated to Deputy First Assistant State Public Defender (1985-1989). He also gained valuable prosecution experience as an intern in the Homicide and Sexual Assault Prosecution Unit of the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office, where he prepared briefs for prosecuting attorneys (1983-1985).

Personal: Judge Koschnick is a lifelong Wisconsin resident. He was born in Milwaukee in 1960, and currently resides in Ixonia with his wife, Terri. They have two daughters.

Website: http://www.koschnickforjustice.com