State Supreme Court to take courthouse back to its past

The Ozaukee County Board meeting room in the historic downtown Port Washington courthouse will once again be used as a courtroom, and this time by the highest court in the state.

The Wisconsin Supreme Court will hear arguments in two cases in the boardroom on Friday, Oct. 15, as part of its Justice on Wheels program, which gives students as well as the general public the opportunity to watch the court work without having to travel to Madison.

The court has convened in 30 other counties as part of the program, but its appearance in the Ozaukee County Boardroom promises to be particularly poignant. That room once served as a courtroom, and years after being repurposed as a meeting room it was restored to the condition it was in when justice was administered there.

The Oct. 15 Justice on Wheels event will begin with a short presentation by local lawyers on the judicial system and the cases that will be heard by the court.

Attorney introductions in each of the two cases are scheduled to begin at 9:30 a.m. and 10:45 a.m., with arguments scheduled for 9:45 a.m. and 11 a.m.

The cases being heard by the court are Steve vs. Clark and Cree Inc. vs. LIRC (Labor and Industry Review Commission).

The hearings are open to the public, and area students and teachers are encouraged to attend. Space, however, is limited and it’s recommended that those who wish to attend email Stephanie Blumenthal at stephanie.blumenthal@wicourts.gov by Oct. 1. For more information, call Blumenthal at (608) 266-1298.

The arguments will also be streamed live on the WisconsinEye Public Affairs Network.

As part of its Justice on Wheels program, the court sponsors a civics education contest intended to help fifth-grade students learn about the Wisconsin and U.S. constitutions. For information on the contest, contact Susan Gray, judicial assistant to Chief Justice Annette Kingsland Ziegler, at susan.gray@wicourts.gov.

Educational material about the judicial branch of government can be found on the Wisconsin Court System website at www.wicourts.gov/courts/resources/index.htm.