Category: Wisconsin
Liberals increase their stranglehold over Wisconsin Supreme Court — which now has ties to Planned Parenthood
Liberals seized majority control of the Wisconsin Supreme Court in 2023 — their first majority on the Badger State’s high court in 15 years. That majority was firmed up with Justice Susan Crawford’s win last year following the most expensive judicial race in U.S. history.
Wisconsinites dashed conservative dreams of a more balanced court on Tuesday by increasing the liberal stranglehold over their state’s high court in a landslide election.
‘We will keep fighting for our courts because they are that important.’
With over 95% of the votes in, Wisconsin Court of Appeals judge and former Democratic state legislator Chris Taylor had secured 60.1% of the total. Her Republican-endorsed opponent, Wisconsin Appeals Court Judge Maria Lazar, secured 39.8% of the total vote.
Abortion was a key issue during the race. Taylor, a former policy director for Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin, is, after all, a hardline abortion activist.
The 58-year-old liberal authored a bill in 2017, for instance, that claimed “every woman has the fundamental right to choose to obtain a safe and legal abortion.” The bill, which failed to pass, would have barred the state from preventing a woman from procuring an abortion “at any time during her pregnancy” if deemed necessary to “protect her life or health.”
RELATED: Trump-endorsed Republican to fill Marjorie Taylor Greene’s seat in Georgia
Wisconsin Appeals Court Judge Maria Lazar. Jonathan Aguilar/Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service/Catchlight/Getty Images
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that Taylor, who was endorsed by various pro-abortion groups, also celebrated after the state supreme court invalidated Wisconsin’s 1949 law that banned most abortions.
Taylor reportedly said last year that she would not recuse herself from a case just because it dealt with abortion.
Lazar, who previously enjoyed the support of pro-life groups and called the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs “very wise,” accused Taylor of being a “judicial activist.” Taylor, in turn, claimed that her opponent would bring “an extreme, right-wing political agenda to the bench,” reported the Los Angeles Times.
In addition to pushing the abortion agenda during her time in the state legislature, Taylor also championed curbs on the Second Amendment, demanding universal background checks, gun purchase waiting periods, and other so-called gun safety measures.
Whereas Taylor raised over $6.2 million over the course of her campaign, Lazar netted only around $1.2 million, reported the Courthouse News Service.
“The fight is not over,” Lazar said in her concession speech. “And that we will keep fighting for our courts because they are that important.”
Moving forward, the court will be skewed 5-2 for liberals. NBC News noted that it could get even worse: Next year, liberals could potentially pick up another seat on the bench as conservative Justice Annette Ziegler is not running for a third term.
Taylor, who will begin her 10-year term in August, is taking the seat of retiring Justice Rebecca Bradley, a Republican-aligned conservative justice who helped strike down Democratic Gov. Tony Evers’ order to postpone an election because of COVID-19 and condemned lockdown measures.
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Liberals increase their stranglehold over Wisconsin Supreme Court — which now has ties to Planned Parenthood
Liberals seized majority control of the Wisconsin Supreme Court in 2023 — their first majority on the Badger State’s high court in 15 years. That majority was firmed up with Justice Susan Crawford’s win last year following the most expensive judicial race in U.S. history.
Wisconsinites dashed conservative dreams of a more balanced court on Tuesday by increasing the liberal stranglehold over their state’s high court in a landslide election.
‘We will keep fighting for our courts because they are that important.’
With over 95% of the votes in, Wisconsin Court of Appeals judge and former Democratic state legislator Chris Taylor had secured 60.1% of the total. Her Republican-endorsed opponent, Wisconsin Appeals Court Judge Maria Lazar, secured 39.8% of the total vote.
Abortion was a key issue during the race. Taylor, a former policy director for Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin, is, after all, a hardline abortion activist.
The 58-year-old liberal authored a bill in 2017, for instance, that claimed “every woman has the fundamental right to choose to obtain a safe and legal abortion.” The bill, which failed to pass, would have barred the state from preventing a woman from procuring an abortion “at any time during her pregnancy” if deemed necessary to “protect her life or health.”
RELATED: Trump-endorsed Republican to fill Marjorie Taylor Greene’s seat in Georgia
Wisconsin Appeals Court Judge Maria Lazar. Jonathan Aguilar/Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service/Catchlight/Getty Images
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that Taylor, who was endorsed by various pro-abortion groups, also celebrated after the state supreme court invalidated Wisconsin’s 1949 law that banned most abortions.
Taylor reportedly said last year that she would not recuse herself from a case just because it dealt with abortion.
Lazar, who previously enjoyed the support of pro-life groups and called the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs “very wise,” accused Taylor of being a “judicial activist.” Taylor, in turn, claimed that her opponent would bring “an extreme, right-wing political agenda to the bench,” reported the Los Angeles Times.
In addition to pushing the abortion agenda during her time in the state legislature, Taylor also championed curbs on the Second Amendment, demanding universal background checks, gun purchase waiting periods, and other so-called gun safety measures.
Whereas Taylor raised over $6.2 million over the course of her campaign, Lazar netted only around $1.2 million, reported the Courthouse News Service.
“The fight is not over,” Lazar said in her concession speech. “And that we will keep fighting for our courts because they are that important.”
Moving forward, the court will be skewed 5-2 for liberals. NBC News noted that it could get even worse: Next year, liberals could potentially pick up another seat on the bench as conservative Justice Annette Ziegler is not running for a third term.
Taylor, who will begin her 10-year term in August, is taking the seat of retiring Justice Rebecca Bradley, a Republican-aligned conservative justice who helped strike down Democratic Gov. Tony Evers’ order to postpone an election because of COVID-19 and condemned lockdown measures.
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‘A killing in cold blood’: Male, 74, slapped with $1 million bond after allegedly shooting dead a fellow owner of hunting land
Sheriff’s deputies in Wisconsin were called to a home on County Road M in Germania around 9:15 p.m. Nov. 12 for a report of a shooting, WSAW-TV reported. Germania is just under 70 miles northwest of Green Bay.
The caller told dispatchers that a male — later identified as 74-year-old Brent Hofman — shot his friend in the home’s garage, the station said.
‘We are devastated and heartbroken over the untimely loss of a wonderful man who meant so much to all of us.’
The caller had locked himself in a building on the property and told dispatchers he would defend himself if necessary, WSAW reported.
Hofman tried to enter the building where the caller had secured himself, the station said, adding that the caller fired his 22-caliber rifle in Hofman’s direction through a glass door.
When deputies arrived on scene, they found Hofman outside the home, WSAW reported, adding that Hofman sustained severe cuts to his face and head from the shattered glass.
Hofman at first failed to comply with verbal commands but was eventually arrested, the station said, adding that deputies noticed he was very intoxicated and slurring his speech.
During a search of the property, deputies found a victim dead inside a garage, WSAW reported.
Hofman was taken to a local hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries, booked into the Shawano County Jail, and made his first appearance in Shawano County Court on Nov. 18 via video, the station said.
Hofman was formally charged with first-degree intentional homicide, attempted first-degree homicide, and being armed while intoxicated, WSAW reported, adding that both homicide charges carry an increased penalty for crimes against an elderly person.
The deceased victim has been identified as 67-year-old Rick Roundy from the Greenleaf area, the station said, adding that all three individuals involved in the incident are connected through ownership of hunting land in the Germania area.
Shawano County District Attorney Gregory Parker read the criminal complaint during the Nov. 18 hearing, WSAW reported.
Parker stated that Victim 2 told investigators he has known Hofman for many years through hunting and have joint properties, the station said. The DA added that Victim 2 indicated nothing was said that in any way would have aggravated or upset Hofman to cause him to do what he did, WSAW reported.
“I can’t put this thing any other way, but this is a killing in cold blood,” Parker said, according to the station.
Hofman’s bond was set at $1 million, WSAW noted.
The station said Roundy’s family released a statement:
We are devastated and heartbroken over the untimely loss of a wonderful man who meant so much to all of us.
As we grieve, we are thankful for the prayers and outpouring of support from family, friends, and community members.
Please understand our need for privacy during this difficult time. We will not be making any additional statements.
A status conference is scheduled for Jan. 5, WSAW reported, and Hofman remained in the Shawano County Jail.
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