Courts

Courts Wisconsin Supreme Court chambers in the state Capitol. (Shutterstock)
Courts Wisconsin Supreme Court Rules Local Officials Can’t Close Schools, Another Blow to Public Health

Conservatives on the state's high court have consistently ruled against public health restrictions implemented to guard against COVID-19.

Jonathon Sadowski Jonathon Sadowski June 11, 2021 11:41 am CDT
Courts Former Minneapolis police Officer Derek Chauvin, center, is taken into custody as his attorney, Eric Nelson, left, looks on, after the verdicts were read at Chauvin's trial for the 2020 death of George Floyd.
Courts ’Amen!’—Wisconsin Reacts to Chauvin Conviction. State’s Racial Disparities Task Force Begins to Wrap Up.

Jurors in Minneapolis convict former police officer. Wisconsin panel still debating a "use of force" policy.

Jonathon Sadowski Jonathon Sadowski April 20, 2021 5:48 pm CDT
Natural Resources An archival image of the Plainfield Tunnel Channel Lakes in Waushara County, which have experienced a reduction in water levels due to groundwater withdrawals for irrigated agriculture. (Photo credit: Wisconsin DNR)
Natural Resources Clean Water at Stake as WI Supreme Court Hears Appeals to Take GOP Restrictions Off the DNR

Clean Wisconsin asks the court to remove legislative micromanagement citing megafarm pollution and high-capacity wells draining lakes.

Christina Lieffring Christina Lieffring April 13, 2021 10:49 am CDT
Courts
Courts State Supreme Court Rejects Right-Wing Legal Group’s Effort to Deregister 70,000 Voters

Two conservative justices join liberals in striking down the attempted deregistration of tens of thousands of voters.

Jonathon Sadowski Jonathon Sadowski April 9, 2021 10:15 am CDT
Courts Wisconsin Supreme Court chambers in the state Capitol. (Shutterstock)
Courts WI Supreme Court Conservatives Strike Down Evers’ Mask Order, Ending Only Statewide COVID Safeguard

The court’s four conservative justices leave Wisconsin without a state of emergency despite the ongoing pandemic.

Jonathon Sadowski Jonathon Sadowski March 31, 2021 2:58 pm CDT

continuing coverage

Emanuel Montalvo cuts Aaron Feria's hair on Oct. 12 at The Lounge Barbershop in Arcadia. The barbershop is one of a growing number of Latino-owned businesses in the Trempealeau County city that is home to a fast-growing Latino population. (Photo by Julian Emerson) Latinos As Latino Populations Increase, Communities Are Also Seeing a Growth in Latino-owned Businesses
The post-war economic boom of the 1950s and 60s sharply increased Wisconsin crop production. In this photo from the Wisconsin Historical Society, Latino farm workers hoe a cucumber field near Wautoma in 1967. Economy From Farms to Factories to New Businesses, Latinos Have Made a Mark on Wisconsin’s Economy for More Than a Century
Harmful blue-green algae blooms, like this one seen on Lake Monona in Madison, are becoming more frequent along Lake Superior as climate change continues to make conditions right for the species to bloom. (Photo by JT Cestkowski) Climate How Climate Change Is Causing Harmful Algae Blooms on Lake Superior
Nada Elmikashfi, chief of staff to state Rep. Francesca Hong (D-Madison), is outspoken about racism and bias, even at the statehouse. (Photo by Christina Lieffring.) Politics Hostile Workplaces, Closed Minds, Hurtful Rhetoric—Welcome to the Wisconsin State Capitol
Courts Graphic via Denzel Boyd
Courts Biden’s Next Big Challenge: How to Deal With Trump’s Takeover of the Courts

“If somebody believes they are a victim of discrimination in their workplace, the final say on whether our civil rights laws are properly enforced is a lower court judge,” Daniel Goldberg, legal director of the nonprofit advocacy group Alliance for Justice, told COURIER.

Keya Vakil Keya Vakil February 3, 2021 3:24 pm CST
Courts Kyle Rittenhouse holding up a "white power" hand signal.
Courts Kyle Rittenhouse Made White-Power Signs as He Took Photos with Proud Boys, Prosecutors Say

“The defendant’s continued association with members of a group that prides itself on violence, and the use of their symbols, raises the significant possibility of future harm."

Jonathon Sadowski Jonathon Sadowski January 14, 2021 3:20 pm CST