William Wheeler Brash III (born July 15, 1951)[1] is an American lawyer and jurist from Wisconsin. He served as the chief judge of the Wisconsin Court of Appeals from 2021 through 2023, and was a member of the Milwaukee-based District I court from 2015 through 2023. He previously served 15 years as a Wisconsin circuit court judge in Milwaukee County.
The Honorable William W. Brash III | |
|---|---|
| Chief Judge of the Wisconsin Court of Appeals | |
| In office August 1, 2021 – July 31, 2023 | |
| Appointed by | Wisconsin Supreme Court |
| Preceded by | Lisa S. Neubauer |
| Succeeded by | Maxine Aldridge White |
| Judge of the Wisconsin Court of Appeals District I | |
| In office October 28, 2015 – July 31, 2023 | |
| Appointed by | Scott Walker |
| Preceded by | Rebecca Bradley |
| Succeeded by | Sara Geenen |
| Wisconsin Circuit Court Judge for the Milwaukee Circuit, Branch 21 | |
| In office November 2001 – October 28, 2015 | |
| Appointed by | Scott McCallum |
| Preceded by | Stanley A. Miller |
| Succeeded by | Cynthia M. Davis |
| Personal details | |
| Born | July 15, 1951 Panama |
| Spouse | Ruth |
| Children | 1 son |
| Residence | Fox Point, Wisconsin |
| Education | St. Norbert College (BA) Marquette University (JD) |
Biography
editBorn in Panama[1][2] and raised in Fox Point, Wisconsin, Brash received his B.A. degree from St. Norbert College in 1973 and his J.D. degree from Marquette University Law School in 1978. He practiced law and was a business owner. He served as a municipal judge in Fox Point from 1984 to 1997, and then as a reserve municipal judge for Milwaukee from 1997 until 2001.[2]
In November 2001 he was appointed to the Wisconsin Circuit Court in Milwaukee County by Governor Scott McCallum. He was re-elected to the Circuit Court in 2002, 2008, and 2014. In 2015, Governor Scott Walker appointed Brash to the Wisconsin Court of Appeals to fill the vacancy created by his appointment of Judge Rebecca Bradley to the Wisconsin Supreme Court. Brash won a full term on the court without opposition in the spring election of 2017.[3][4][5] He is currently the Presiding Judge for District I.[1] On June 28, 2021, the Wisconsin Supreme Court issued an order naming him the next chief judge, effective August 1, 2021.[6]
On April 4, 2023, Brash lost his reelection bid to labor lawyer Sara Geenen.[7]
Personal life
editJudge Brash and his wife, Ruth, have one son and reside in Fox Point, Wisconsin.
Electoral history
editWisconsin Circuit Court (2002, 2008, 2014)
edit| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Election, April 2, 2002 | |||||
| Nonpartisan | Bill Brash (incumbent) | 71,362 | 62.19% | ||
| Nonpartisan | Ramon Valdez | 43,047 | 37.51% | ||
| Scattering | 341 | 0.30% | |||
| Total votes | 114,750 | 100.0% | |||
Wisconsin Court of Appeals (2017, 2023)
edit| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Election, April 4, 2017 | |||||
| Nonpartisan | Bill Brash (incumbent) | 51,818 | 98.53% | ||
| Scattering | 771 | 1.47% | |||
| Total votes | 52,589 | 100.0% | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Election, April 4, 2023 | |||||
| Nonpartisan | Sara Geenen | 130,030 | 68.18% | ||
| Nonpartisan | Bill Brash (incumbent) | 59,587 | 31.25% | ||
| N/a | Scattering | 1,088 | 0.57% | ||
| Plurality | 70,443 | 36.94% | |||
| Total votes | 190,705 | 100.0% | -1.35% | ||
References
edit- ^ a b c "Wisconsin Court System - Court of Appeals Judges - Judge Brash". www.wicourts.gov. Retrieved 2019-09-03.
- ^ a b "2002 Election Results" (PDF). The Third Branch. Vol. 10, no. 2. Courts of Wisconsin. 2002. p. 21. Retrieved March 26, 2020.
- ^ "Governor Scott Walker Appoints District 1 Court of Appeals Judge". Office of the Governor of Wisconsin. October 28, 2015. Archived from the original on May 15, 2016. Retrieved March 26, 2020 – via Wayback Machine.
- ^ Wisconsin Court System-Wisconsin Court of Appeals-Judge William W. Brash III
- ^ Martindale.com.-Judge Profile: Hon. William W. Brash III
- ^ Conniff, Ruth (June 30, 2021). "Supreme Court summarily ends Court of Appeals chief judge's term". Wisconsin Examiner. Retrieved July 1, 2021.
- ^ Dawson, Drew (April 5, 2023). "Sara Geenen elected to the Court of Appeals, defeating District 1 incumbent Bill Brash". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved April 6, 2023.
- ^ Results of Spring General Election (PDF) (Report). Wisconsin State Elections Board. April 2, 2002. p. 6. Retrieved March 26, 2020.
- ^ Canvass Results for 2017 Spring Election (PDF) (Report). Wisconsin Elections Commission. April 4, 2017. p. 1. Retrieved March 26, 2020.
- ^ 2023 Spring Election - Court of Appeals District 1 - County by County Report (PDF) (Report). Wisconsin Elections Commission. April 18, 2023. Retrieved April 21, 2023.