Wisconsin Supreme Court Chief Justice Annette Ziegler criticized the newly sworn-in liberal majority Wednesday after they fired the court’s longtime director, according to a statement.
Justice Janet Protasiewicz was sworn in Tuesday to replace retiring conservative Justice Pat Roggensack and create a liberal majority on the court for the first time in 15 years, and immediately fired Director of the State Courts Randy Koschnick, who ran for a seat on the court in 2009 with the support of many conservatives. Ziegler released a scathing statement Wednesday, condemning her “colleagues’ reckless conduct” and “unauthorized action.” (RELATED: ‘Wrecking Ball To The Due Process Of Law’: New Liberal Majority Cleans House As Wisconsin Supreme Court Term Begins)
Ziegler said that her fellow justices did not seem to feel that the whole court’s involvement was necessary when there is a “pre-ordained determination,” according to the statement.
“A vote of four may dictate decisions of our court, but those votes are taken during formally noticed court conferences scheduled by the Chief Justice; no such conference has occurred,” Ziegler said. “Apparently several of my colleagues do not think court conferences are necessary to conduct court business when there is a pre-ordained determination. Their actions today effectively silence those members of the court who have not been privy to these secret discussions.”
Chief Justice Ziegler’s Statement by Kate Anderson on Scribd
Koschnick served as director for six years and previously told the Daily Caller News Foundation that no one had made any complaints against him or doubted his integrity. He explained that the vote to remove him by the four member majority was highly unusual and that the three remaining justices had been unaware it was taking place.
Ziegler said that she had considered taking action to stop Koschnick’s firing, but worried about the potential repercussions that may follow the other court employees, according to the statement.
“The unauthorized action taken today by some of my colleagues firing Director of State Courts Randy Koschnick is flawed procedurally, legally, and on its merits,” Ziegler wrote. “As Chief Justice, I contemplated actions I might take to attempt to stop this unauthorized action, but given my colleagues’ reckless conduct, other court employees would also become victims of this unauthorized action.”
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