Ann Walsh Bradley

Ann Bradley
Associate Justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court
Incumbent
Assumed office 1995
Personal details
Born	(1950-07-15) July 15, 1950 Richland Center, Wisconsin, U.S.
Political party	Democrat
Alma mater	Webster University (B.A.), University of Wisconsin Law School, (J.D.)

Ann Walsh Bradley (born July 15, 1950) is a justice on the Wisconsin Supreme Court. She was elected to the Supreme Court in 1995.

Justice Bradley was born in Richland Center, Wisconsin. She earned her bachelor's degree in 1972 from Webster University in St. Louis, Missouri. She worked as a high school teacher at Aquinas High School in La Crosse, Wisconsin before entering the University of Wisconsin Law School, where she earned a law degree in 1976. Justice Bradley worked in private law practice until becoming a circuit court judge in Marathon County in 1985.

Justice Bradley is an elected member of the American Law Institute, a former associate dean and faculty member of the Wisconsin Judicial College, a former chair of the Wisconsin Judicial Conference, a Democratand a lecturer for the American Bar Association's Asia Law Initiative.

Wisconsin Supreme Court tenure

Bradley was first elected to the Court in 1995, and re-elected in 2005 and 2015 (for a term expiring July 31, 2025).

2011 Conflict with Justice Prosser

On June 13, 2011, Bradley had a confrontation with Justice David Prosser, Jr., which allegedly became violent. Prosser, Bradley, and all other justices besides Patrick Crooks were informally discussing the next day decision that would overturn Judge Sumi's ruling on the collective bargaining law in Bradley's office. There are different accounts as to what occurred. According to Bradley the discussion became heated after Bradley asked Prosser to leave her office and said she was bothered by his disparaging comments towards Chief Justice Shirley Abrahamson. Prosser allegedly then put his hands around Bradley's throat in what was described as a choke hold. Prosser himself said that these reports will be proved false.

According to other anonymous sources, Bradley attacked Prosser. "She charged him with fists raised," the anonymous source said. Prosser "put his hands in a defensive posture," the anonymous source said. "He blocked her." In doing so, the anonymous source said, he made contact with Bradley's neck. Justice Prosser denied he choked Bradley saying "Once there's a proper review of the matter and the facts surrounding it are made clear, the anonymous claims made to the media will be proven false." Justice Bradley stated that Prosser had choked her: "The facts are that I was demanding that he get out of my office and he put his hands around my neck in anger in a chokehold." Neither Supreme Court Justice David Prosser nor fellow Justice Ann Walsh Bradley will face criminal charges from the incident. The state Judicial Commission has told its special prosecutor not to pursue new avenues to forward its ethics case against state Supreme Court Justice David Prosser.

2015 reelection campaign

On April 7, 2015, Bradley was reelected to the Wisconsin Supreme Court, defeating Rock County Judge James Daley.

Further reading

• Aquinas News, Aquinas High School, La Crosse, Wisconsin, September 1972, 'Six new teachers join staff', Carol First, class of 1974, pg. 12. Article about Ann Walsh joining the Aquinas High School faculty.
• Aquinas News, Aquinas High School, La Crosse, Wisconsin, May 1973, pg. 8, 'Resignations announced for four AHS teachers'. Ann Walsh returning to graduate school to study law at the University of Wisconsin–Madison in the fall.
• Aquin 1973, Aquinas High School, La Crosse, Wisconsin, two photos of Ann Walsh, pg. 63.

External links

• Justice Ann Walsh Bradley biography on Wisconsin State Supreme Court
• The 118-page police dossier on the July 13 incident released in August 2011, a word-searchable 70-page version that only includes the interview reports, and 12 pages of the most relevant excerpt.