Wisconsin Court System / Wisconsin Supreme Court
Timothy Barber is a seasoned attorney with extensive experience in the legal field, currently serving as a Wisconsin Supreme Court Commissioner since July 2022. Prior to this role, Timothy held several positions within the Wisconsin Department of Justice, including Deputy Unit Director of the Criminal Appeals Unit and Assistant Attorney General in both the Civil Litigation and Criminal Appeals Units. Timothy's earlier career includes nearly a decade as an Income Partner at Axley Brynelson, LLP, where a focus on appellate practice, labor and employment, municipal defense, civil rights litigation, and business litigation was prominent. Additionally, Timothy served as an Adjunct Lecturer at the University of Wisconsin Law School and began legal practice as a law clerk for the Honorable Jon P. Wilcox at the Wisconsin Supreme Court. Timothy earned a J.D. from Marquette University Law School and a B.A. in Politics and Government from Ripon College.
Wisconsin Court System / Wisconsin Supreme Court
Following is a brief overview of the Wisconsin Court System. Municipal courts -237 municipal courts -240 municipal judges -Milwaukee has the largest municipal court and three full-time municipal judges. Madison has the only other full-time municipal court. Circuit courts -Single level trial court since 1978. -249 circuit judges in 72 counties. Judges elected countywide to six-year terms in non-partisan elections. -Milwaukee County is the largest jurisdiction with 47 judges. -30 counties have one judge each; smaller counties share a judge. Court of Appeals -Created in 1978 and originally designed to handle 1,200 cases per year. -Mostly mandatory jurisdiction, meaning that litigants have the right to appeal their cases from the circuit court to the Court of Appeals. -16 judges in four districts. Judges elected district wide to six-year terms. Supreme Court -Seven justices elected statewide to 10-year terms. -Court of last resort. -Court reviews approximately 1,000 petitions per year and accepts between 100 and 120.