Wisconsin justice calls courts’ map review doing ‘bidding of political masters’

(The Center Square) – A conservative Wisconsin Supreme Court justice called the courts’ decision to hear a case challenging the state’s congressional maps doing the “bidding of its political masters” rather than a proper decision.

The court sent an order stating that it would hear an appeal of a three-judge panel’s ruling not to hear the case but said that it would not hear the case on a requested expedited schedule.

“The Democratic Party bought multiple seats on this court to achieve yet another outcome unobtainable democratically,” Justice Rebecca Bradley wrote in dissent.

Bradley joined Justice Annette Ziegler in dissent against hear the case from the Wisconsin Business Leaders for Democracy that a three-judge panel dismissed on April 28.

“It is indeed rare that I feel compelled to object to hearing a case,” Ziegler wrote. “But here, I have concluded this is too important to stand silent. The public should be informed of the requests afoot and it should have the opportunity to stay abreast of these proceedings.

“And, of course, the briefing and arguments could cause me to conclude that this appeal was proper and relief should be granted. We shall see.”

The majority of judges took offense at Bradley’s insinuation that the decision to hear the case was politically motivated, calling the dissent “false, inappropriate, and disingenuous charges.”

“Deciding to hear a case does not reflect any weighing of the merits of any party’s claims, let alone prejudgment about who will prevail and why,” Justice Rebecca Dallet wrote. “We do not prejudge cases, and for that reason, we do not comment at this early stage on the parties’ legal theories, or try to develop arguments in favor of one side or another.”

Ziegler wrote that it was “shocking” the case would be reviewed without analysis of the jurisdiction of the case, if there is a proper claim or if there is even a right to appeal the ruling of a three-judge panel. She pointed to four other times that the Wisconsin Supreme Court had determined that the current congressional map would not be reviewed.