Wis. Supreme Court to discuss recusal proposals

MADISON, Wis. — The Wisconsin Supreme Court is scheduled to discuss proposed new rules about when to recuse themselves from cases.

The discussion Wednesday afternoon is intended to improve the public’s trust and confidence in the state high court.

The court’s reputation has taken a beating of late. The most prominent event was an altercation between two justices this summer.

There have also been controversies over when justices should recuse themselves from cases. The court reprimanded Justice Annette Ziegler in 2008 for hearing cases as a Washington County judge that involved a bank where her husband was a paid director.

Chief Justice Shirley Abrahamson has offered a number of recusal suggestions. One is that the final decision to recuse be made by a separate tribunal rather than left to the justices’ discretion.