WCJC has released its 2019 Guide to the Wisconsin Supreme Court and Judicial Evaluation, which reviews the most important cases decided by the Supreme Court of Wisconsin affecting the business community. The 2019 Judicial Evaluation covers the 2018-19 Supreme Court term.

The Judicial Evaluation scores the justices based on the percentage of the reviewed cases in which their position aligned with WCJC’s position. Based on the comprehensive review of decisions affecting the business community, Chief Justice Patience Roggensack and Justice Annette Ziegler scored the highest at 80 percent. Justice Rebecca Bradley scored 79 percent, and Justice Daniel Kelly came in at 76 percent. New to the court this term, Justice Rebecca Dallet scored 59 percent. Justice Walsh Bradley scored 30 percent. In her last term before retiring from the court this year, Justice Shirley Abrahamson scored 28 percent.

“The judicial evaluation provides analyses of the most important decisions affecting Wisconsin’s business community in the 2018-19 term,” said Bill G. Smith, WCJC President and State Director of the National Federation of Independent Business. “Businesses all over the state should read this important document and recognize how the judicial branch affects them and their employees,” added Smith.

The 2019 Judicial Evaluation provides a discussion of the facts and the court’s holding in each of the decisions, including the dissenting opinion(s). The guide then lists how each justice decided the case, along with WCJC’s position on the court’s decision.

“The decisions handed down by the court have a direct effect not just on the parties involved in each case, but on the entire business community, as the court establishes important precedent that is used in future cases,” added Scott Manley, WCJC Vice President and Executive Vice President of Government Relations for Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce. “The evaluation is an important tool to inform the public about how these cases are decided by the Supreme Court.”

This is the fourth judicial evaluation issued by WCJC since 2011.