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{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2016}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2016}}
{{Infobox officeholder
{{Infobox officeholder
|name = Rebecca Bradley
|name = Rebecca Bradley
|image = Justice Rebecca Bradley State Supreme Court.jpg
|image =
|office = Justice of the [[Wisconsin Supreme Court]]
|office = Justice of the [[Wisconsin Supreme Court]]
|appointer = [[Scott Walker (politician)|Scott Walker]]
|appointer = [[Scott Walker (politician)|Scott Walker]]
|term_start = October 12, 2015
|term_start = October 12, 2015
|term_end =
|term_end =
|predecessor = [[N. Patrick Crooks]]
|predecessor = [[N. Patrick Crooks]]
|successor =
|successor =
|office1 = Judge of the [[Wisconsin Court of Appeals]]<br>District I
|office1 = Judge of the [[Wisconsin Court of Appeals]]<br>District I
|appointer1 = Scott Walker
|appointer1 = Scott Walker
|term_start1 = May 2015
|term_start1 = May 2015
|term_end1 = October 12, 2015
|term_end1 = October 12, 2015
|predecessor1 = [[Ralph Adam Fine]]
|predecessor1 = [[Ralph Adam Fine]]
|successor1 = [[William W. Brash III]]
|successor1 = [[William W. Brash III]]
|office2 = [[Wisconsin circuit courts|Wisconsin Circuit Court]] Judge for the [[Milwaukee County, Wisconsin|Milwaukee]] Circuit, Branch&nbsp;45
|office2 = [[Wisconsin circuit courts|Wisconsin Circuit Court]] Judge for the [[Milwaukee County, Wisconsin|Milwaukee]] Circuit, Branch&nbsp;45
|appointer2 = Scott Walker
|appointer2 = Scott Walker
|term_start2 = December 2012
|term_start2 = December 2012
|term_end2 = May 2015
|term_end2 = May 2015
|predecessor2 = Thomas Donegan
|predecessor2 = Thomas Donegan
|successor2 = Michelle Ackerman Havas
|successor2 = Michelle Ackerman Havas
|birth_name = Rebecca Lynn Grassl
|birth_name = Rebecca Lynn Grassl
|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1971|8|2}}
|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1971|8|2}}
|birth_place = [[Milwaukee]], [[Wisconsin]], U.S.
|birth_place = [[Milwaukee]], [[Wisconsin]], U.S.
|death_date =
|death_date =
|death_place =
|death_place =
|education = [[Marquette University]] ([[Bachelor of Arts|BA]])<br>[[University of Wisconsin, Madison]] ([[Juris Doctor|JD]])
|education = [[Marquette University]] ([[Bachelor of Arts|BA]])<br>[[University of Wisconsin, Madison]] ([[Juris Doctor|JD]])
|website = {{url|JusticeRebeccaBradley.com|Campaign website}}
|website = {{url|JusticeRebeccaBradley.com|Campaign website}}
}}
}}
'''Rebecca Lynn Grassl Bradley''' (born August 2, 1971) is an American lawyer and justice of the [[Wisconsin Supreme Court]], serving since 2015. She has been a state judge in [[Wisconsin]] since 2012. She was appointed to the Supreme Court by Governor [[Scott Walker (politician)|Scott Walker]] in 2015, and won election to a 10-year term in 2016.
'''Rebecca Lynn Grassl Bradley''' (born August 2, 1971) is an American lawyer and justice of the [[Wisconsin Supreme Court]], serving since 2015. She has been a state judge in [[Wisconsin]] since 2012. She was appointed to the Supreme Court by Governor [[Scott Walker (politician)|Scott Walker]] in 2015, and won election to a 10-year term in 2016.
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==Early life and education==
==Early life and education==
Born in [[Milwaukee]], Bradley graduated from [[Marquette University]] in 1993 and the [[University of Wisconsin Law School]] in 1996.<ref name=Garza>{{cite news|last1=Garza|first1=Jesse|title=Walker appoints Judge Rebecca Bradley to District 1 Court of Appeals|url=http://www.jsonline.com/news/walker-appoints-judge-rebecca-bradley-to-district-1-court-of-appeals-b99498589z1-303363041.html|accessdate=July 31, 2015|work=The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel|date=May 11, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Scott Walker appoints Rebecca Bradley to Supreme Court|url=https://madison.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/scott-walker-appoints-rebecca-bradley-to-supreme-court/article_36075f31-6912-59cc-bdc5-3c84bfaa3106.html|last=Journal|first=Matthew DeFour {{!}} Wisconsin State|website=madison.com|language=en|access-date=2020-05-06}}</ref>
Born in [[Milwaukee]], Bradley graduated from [[Marquette University]] in 1993 and the [[University of Wisconsin Law School]] in 1996.<ref name=Garza>{{cite news|last1=Garza|first1=Jesse|title=Walker appoints Judge Rebecca Bradley to District 1 Court of Appeals|url=http://www.jsonline.com/news/walker-appoints-judge-rebecca-bradley-to-district-1-court-of-appeals-b99498589z1-303363041.html|accessdate=July 31, 2015|work=The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel|date=May 11, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Scott Walker appoints Rebecca Bradley to Supreme Court|url=https://madison.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/scott-walker-appoints-rebecca-bradley-to-supreme-court/article_36075f31-6912-59cc-bdc5-3c84bfaa3106.html|last=Journal|first=Matthew DeFour {{!}} Wisconsin State|website=madison.com|language=en|access-date=2020-05-06}}</ref>

In 2016, she apologized for columns she wrote for the ''Marquette Tribune'' under a former name, Rebecca Grassl. Quotes from her 1992 columns include, "one will be better off contracting AIDS than developing cancer, because those afflicted with the politically correct disease will get all the funding," and "how sad that the lives of degenerate drug addicts and queers are valued more than the innocent lives of more prevalent ailments."<ref>{{Cite web|last=Journal|first=Matthew DeFour {{!}} Wisconsin State Journal, Molly Beck {{!}} Wisconsin State|title=Rebecca Bradley: 'Deeply sorry' for 1992 comments about gays, people with AIDS|url=https://madison.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/rebecca-bradley-deeply-sorry-for-1992-comments-about-gays-people-with-aids/article_4f2799aa-0aa2-5ed1-a5d7-320f77a3e2b5.html|access-date=2020-06-13|website=madison.com|language=en}}</ref> She also wrote, "but the homosexuals and drug addicts who do essentially kill themselves and others through their own behavior deservedly receive none of my sympathy."<ref>{{Cite web|last=Rodriguez|first=Mathew|title=New Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Rebecca Bradley's Homophobic Quotes Are Despicable|url=https://www.mic.com/articles/140043/new-wisconsin-supreme-court-justice-rebecca-bradley-s-homophobic-quotes-are-despicable|access-date=2020-06-13|website=Mic|language=en}}</ref>


== Early law career ==
== Early law career ==
Bradley worked as an attorney at several Milwaukee law firms, specializing in [[commercial litigation]] and [[intellectual property law]], and as a software company executive.<ref name="Vielmetti">{{cite news|last1=Vielmetti|first1=Bruce|title=Rebecca Bradley's star rises among conservative judiciary|url=http://www.jsonline.com/news/statepolitics/rebecca-bradleys-star-rises-among-conservative-judiciary-b99525999z1-310348931.html|accessdate=July 31, 2015|work=The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel|date=June 27, 2015}}</ref> {{Citation needed|reason=This link doesn't say anything about Bradley practicing intellectual property law|date=June 2022}} Considered a conservative, Bradley served as president of the Milwaukee [[Federalist Society]] chapter and participated in the [[Thomas More Society]] and the Republican National Lawyers Association.<ref name="Appointment">{{cite news|last1=Vielmetti|first1=Bruce|title=Rebecca Bradley named circuit judge in Milwaukee|url=http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/news/180914251.html|accessdate=July 31, 2015|work=The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel|date=November 26, 2012}}</ref> Bradley was a contributor to the campaign of Wisconsin Governor [[Scott Walker (politician)|Scott Walker]], a [[Republican Party of Wisconsin|Republican]].<ref name="Fischer">{{cite news|last1=Fischer|first1=Brendan|title=In a Divided Wisconsin, Scott Walker Even Looms Large in Local Judicial Races|url=http://www.prwatch.org/news/2013/03/12036/divided-wisconsin-scott-walker-even-looms-large-local-judicial-races|accessdate=July 31, 2015|work=PR Watch|date=March 28, 2013}}</ref>
Bradley worked as an attorney at several Milwaukee law firms, specializing in [[commercial litigation]] and [[intellectual property law]], and as a software company executive.<ref name="Vielmetti">{{cite news|last1=Vielmetti|first1=Bruce|title=Rebecca Bradley's star rises among conservative judiciary|url=http://www.jsonline.com/news/statepolitics/rebecca-bradleys-star-rises-among-conservative-judiciary-b99525999z1-310348931.html|accessdate=July 31, 2015|work=The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel|date=June 27, 2015}}</ref> {{Citation needed|reason=This link doesn't say anything about Bradley practicing intellectual property law|date=June 2022}} Considered a conservative, Bradley served as president of the Milwaukee [[Federalist Society]] chapter.<ref name="Appointment">{{cite news|last1=Vielmetti|first1=Bruce|title=Rebecca Bradley named circuit judge in Milwaukee|url=http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/news/180914251.html|accessdate=July 31, 2015|work=The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel|date=November 26, 2012}}</ref> Bradley was a contributor to the campaign of Wisconsin Governor [[Scott Walker (politician)|Scott Walker]], a [[Republican Party of Wisconsin|Republican]].<ref name="Fischer">{{cite news|last1=Fischer|first1=Brendan|title=In a Divided Wisconsin, Scott Walker Even Looms Large in Local Judicial Races|url=http://www.prwatch.org/news/2013/03/12036/divided-wisconsin-scott-walker-even-looms-large-local-judicial-races|accessdate=July 31, 2015|work=PR Watch|date=March 28, 2013}}</ref>


In December 2012, Walker appointed Bradley to the [[Milwaukee County]] [[Wisconsin circuit courts|Circuit Court]], where she served in the children's court division.<ref name=Garza/><ref name=Vielmetti/> She was elected to a six-year term on the court in April 2013, receiving substantial support from the conservative [[Wisconsin Club for Growth]].<ref name=Vielmetti/>
In December 2012, Walker appointed Bradley to the [[Milwaukee County]] [[Wisconsin circuit courts|Circuit Court]], where she served in the children's court division.<ref name=Garza/><ref name=Vielmetti/> She was elected to a six-year term on the court in April 2013, receiving substantial support from the conservative [[Wisconsin Club for Growth]].<ref name=Vielmetti/>
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[[File:Rebecca Bradley hug 2016 victory.jpg|thumb|Bradley (left) at her 2016 election]]
[[File:Rebecca Bradley hug 2016 victory.jpg|thumb|Bradley (left) at her 2016 election]]
After Crooks' death, Bradley, [[JoAnne Kloppenburg]] (who narrowly lost a race for the Wisconsin Supreme Court in 2011), and Martin Joseph "Joe" Donald each announced their candidacy for the seat in the 2016 election. In the February 16 primary, Bradley edged Kloppenburg 44.7–43.2%, moving the two of them on to the general election in an even race.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.jsonline.com/news/statepolitics/trump-leads-in-state-gop-primary-clinton-sanders-in-tossup-b99676771z1-370143451.html|title=Rebecca Bradley-Joanne Kloppenburg race a dead heat for high court|first=Bill|last=Glauber|work=The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel|date=February 25, 2016|accessdate=April 3, 2016}}</ref>
After Crooks' death, Bradley, [[JoAnne Kloppenburg]] (who narrowly lost a race for the Wisconsin Supreme Court in 2011), and Martin Joseph "Joe" Donald each announced their candidacy for the seat in the 2016 election. In the February 16 primary, Bradley edged Kloppenburg 44.7–43.2%, moving the two of them on to the general election in an even race.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.jsonline.com/news/statepolitics/trump-leads-in-state-gop-primary-clinton-sanders-in-tossup-b99676771z1-370143451.html|title=Rebecca Bradley-Joanne Kloppenburg race a dead heat for high court|first=Bill|last=Glauber|work=The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel|date=February 25, 2016|accessdate=April 3, 2016}}</ref>

Bradley's homophobic writings that she wrote in the [[Marquette University]] student newspaper in 1992 while an undergraduate stirred controversy during the race.<ref>{{cite web|title=Bradley, Kloppenburg square off in state Supreme Court race|url=http://journaltimes.com/news/local/bradley-kloppenburg-square-off-in-state-supreme-court-race/article_d506bc7e-499e-580f-a3af-d61ee9123af9.html|last=Godar|first=Bryna|date=April 3, 2016|publisher=[[Associated Press]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Rebecca Bradley: 'Deeply sorry' for 1992 comments about gays, people with AIDS|url=https://madison.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/rebecca-bradley-deeply-sorry-for-1992-comments-about-gays-people-with-aids/article_4f2799aa-0aa2-5ed1-a5d7-320f77a3e2b5.html|last=Journal|first=Matthew DeFour {{!}} Wisconsin State Journal, Molly Beck {{!}} Wisconsin State|website=madison.com|language=en|access-date=2020-05-06}}</ref> She had written [[letter to the editor|letters to the editor]] and a column for the ''[[Marquette Tribune]]'', in which she stated she held no sympathy for AIDS patients because they were "degenerates" who had effectively chosen to kill themselves. She also referred to gays as "queers".<ref name="Marley">{{cite news|last1=Marley|first1=Patrick|date=March 7, 2016|title=Rebecca Bradley in 1992: 'Queers' with AIDS, addicts merit no sympathy|work=The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel|url=http://www.jsonline.com/news/rebecca-bradley-called-gays-queers-who-opted-to-kill-themselves-b99682686z1-371276861.html|accessdate=March 7, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Election 2016: Rebecca Bradley, JoAnne Kloppenburg signal political leanings|url=https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/politics/elections/2016/03/28/election-2016-rebecca-bradley-joanne-kloppenburg-signal-political-leanings/84939128/|website=Milwaukee Journal Sentinel|language=en|access-date=2020-05-06}}</ref> She called the plurality of Americans who voted for Clinton "either totally stupid or entirely evil".<ref>[http://media.jrn.com/documents/supreme_bradleywritings.pdf Rebecca Grassi 'Crossfire' column, 11/11/1992]</ref> She blasted supporters of abortion as murderers, and compared abortion to the Holocaust and slavery.<ref name="Marley" /> She attacked feminists as "angry, militant, man-hating lesbians who abhor the traditional family" and defended [[Camille Paglia]], who had written in a 1991 column that "women who get drunk at frat parties are 'fools' and women who go upstairs with frat brothers are 'idiots'."<ref name="Opoien" /> Bradley wrote that Paglia had "legitimately suggested that women play a role in date rape."<ref name="Opoien">{{cite web|url=http://host.madison.com/ct/news/local/govt-and-politics/rebecca-bradley-in-camille-paglia-legitimately-suggested-women-play-role/article_28cb63fe-d647-5ce3-b558-3497c8f6f418.html|last=Opoien|first=Jessie|title=Rebecca Bradley in 1992: Camille Paglia 'legitimately suggested' women play role in date rape|work=Capital Times|date=March 9, 2016|accessdate=April 6, 2016}}</ref> Bradley apologized for her student writings in 2016, shortly after they had stirred controversy.<ref name="Beck">{{cite news|last1=Beck|first1=Molly|title=Rebecca Bradley apologizes for college newspaper columns calling gay people 'degenerates'|url=http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/govt-and-politics/liberal-group-rebecca-bradley-s-college-era-columns-hateful-harmful/article_7c9210e9-1250-597b-92db-feaf904afa7a.html|accessdate=March 7, 2016|work=The Wisconsin State Journal|date=March 7, 2016}}</ref>


Pre-election polls showed Bradley with a slight lead, but with a significant portion of the electorate still undecided.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.channel3000.com/news/poll-close-race-between-rebecca-bradley-joanne-kloppenburg/38767728|title=Poll: Close race between Rebecca Bradley, JoAnne Cloppenburg|publisher=[[Associated Press]]|date=March 30, 2016|accessdate=April 3, 2016|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160404053627/http://www.channel3000.com/news/poll-close-race-between-rebecca-bradley-joanne-kloppenburg/38767728|archivedate=April 4, 2016|df=mdy-all}}</ref> She was projected as the winner by a 53–47% margin on election night, and she quoted [[Winston Churchill]] at the end of her victory speech: "There is nothing more exhilarating than being shot at without result."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.jsonline.com/news/statepolitics/wisconsin-supreme-court-race-joanne-kloppenburg-vs-rebecca-bradley-b99698483z1-374671861.html|last=Marley|first=Patrick|title=Rebecca Bradley beats JoAnne Kloppenburg in high court race|work=The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel|accessdate=April 6, 2016}}</ref>
Pre-election polls showed Bradley with a slight lead, but with a significant portion of the electorate still undecided.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.channel3000.com/news/poll-close-race-between-rebecca-bradley-joanne-kloppenburg/38767728|title=Poll: Close race between Rebecca Bradley, JoAnne Cloppenburg|publisher=[[Associated Press]]|date=March 30, 2016|accessdate=April 3, 2016|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160404053627/http://www.channel3000.com/news/poll-close-race-between-rebecca-bradley-joanne-kloppenburg/38767728|archivedate=April 4, 2016|df=mdy-all}}</ref> She was projected as the winner by a 53–47% margin on election night, and she quoted [[Winston Churchill]] at the end of her victory speech: "There is nothing more exhilarating than being shot at without result."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.jsonline.com/news/statepolitics/wisconsin-supreme-court-race-joanne-kloppenburg-vs-rebecca-bradley-b99698483z1-374671861.html|last=Marley|first=Patrick|title=Rebecca Bradley beats JoAnne Kloppenburg in high court race|work=The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel|accessdate=April 6, 2016}}</ref>
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In April 2020, during the pandemic, she joined the conservative majority on the Wisconsin Supreme Court in striking down Governor Evers' order to postpone a 7 April Wisconsin election due to the public health risks of the coronavirus.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Wisconsin's Election Is Happening After State Supreme Court Blocks Evers|url=https://www.wpr.org/wisconsins-election-happening-after-state-supreme-court-blocks-evers|last=Johnson|first=Shawn|date=2020-04-06|website=Wisconsin Public Radio|language=en|access-date=2020-05-05}}</ref> She voted in person on April 2, although casting a ballot in person before the date of the election is considered an absentee vote in Wisconsin. Examination of Justice Bradley's voting record demonstrates that she voted in person on Election Day in 4 of the 5 previous elections.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Bice|first=Daniel|title=Bice: All seven Supreme Court justices voted absentee, even those who hadn't in the past|url=https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/investigations/daniel-bice/2020/04/13/wisconsin-election-supreme-court-justices-all-voted-absentee/5134487002/|access-date=2020-06-13|website=Milwaukee Journal Sentinel|language=en}}</ref>
In April 2020, during the pandemic, she joined the conservative majority on the Wisconsin Supreme Court in striking down Governor Evers' order to postpone a 7 April Wisconsin election due to the public health risks of the coronavirus.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Wisconsin's Election Is Happening After State Supreme Court Blocks Evers|url=https://www.wpr.org/wisconsins-election-happening-after-state-supreme-court-blocks-evers|last=Johnson|first=Shawn|date=2020-04-06|website=Wisconsin Public Radio|language=en|access-date=2020-05-05}}</ref> She voted in person on April 2, although casting a ballot in person before the date of the election is considered an absentee vote in Wisconsin. Examination of Justice Bradley's voting record demonstrates that she voted in person on Election Day in 4 of the 5 previous elections.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Bice|first=Daniel|title=Bice: All seven Supreme Court justices voted absentee, even those who hadn't in the past|url=https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/investigations/daniel-bice/2020/04/13/wisconsin-election-supreme-court-justices-all-voted-absentee/5134487002/|access-date=2020-06-13|website=Milwaukee Journal Sentinel|language=en}}</ref>

In May 2020, she questioned the stay-at-home orders issued by the [[Wisconsin Department of Health Services]] Secretary [[Andrea Palm]]. She compared the stay-at-home orders to the [[internment of Japanese-Americans]] during World War II, and labeled it "tyrannic."<ref>{{Cite web|title=The Latest: Wisconsin waives road test for young drivers|url=https://www.startribune.com/the-latest-more-than-511-000-file-for-unemployment/570205812/|website=Star Tribune|access-date=2020-05-05}}</ref>


In November 2020, while COVID-19 cases were surging in Wisconsin, she was in the Wisconsin Supreme Court's conservative majority that prevented the City of Racine Public Health Department to order school closures.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Carson|first=Sophie|title=Wisconsin Supreme Court blocks Racine health order closing public and private schools until it decides on Dane County case|url=https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/2020/11/25/wisconsin-supreme-court-temporarily-blocks-racine-school-closure-order/6429344002/|access-date=2020-11-28|website=Milwaukee Journal Sentinel|language=en-US}}</ref>
In November 2020, while COVID-19 cases were surging in Wisconsin, she was in the Wisconsin Supreme Court's conservative majority that prevented the City of Racine Public Health Department to order school closures.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Carson|first=Sophie|title=Wisconsin Supreme Court blocks Racine health order closing public and private schools until it decides on Dane County case|url=https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/2020/11/25/wisconsin-supreme-court-temporarily-blocks-racine-school-closure-order/6429344002/|access-date=2020-11-28|website=Milwaukee Journal Sentinel|language=en-US}}</ref>
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==== Voting rights ====
==== Voting rights ====
In 2021, Bradley wrote a majority decision for the Wisconsin Supreme Court that declined to change district maps that were in favor of Republicans. In her decision, Bradley wrote that questions about the redistricting maps "must be resolved through the political process and not by the judiciary."<ref>{{Cite web|title=Top Wisconsin court affirms GOP's preferred approach to maps|url=https://www.startribune.com/top-wisconsin-court-affirms-gops-preferred-approach-to-maps/600122336/|url-status=live|access-date=2021-11-30|website=Star Tribune}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Journal|first=Mitchell Schmidt {{!}} Wisconsin State|title=State Supreme Court to follow GOP proposal for 'least-change' approach to redistricting|url=https://madison.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/state-supreme-court-to-follow-gop-proposal-for-least-change-approach-to-redistricting/article_bc518113-3caa-510a-96e8-567ce095b295.html|access-date=2021-11-30|website=madison.com|language=en}}</ref>
In 2021, Bradley wrote a majority decision for the Wisconsin Supreme Court that to district maps . In her decision, Bradley wrote that questions about the redistricting maps "must be resolved through the political process and not by the judiciary."<ref>{{Cite web|title=Top Wisconsin court affirms GOP's preferred approach to maps|url=https://www.startribune.com/top-wisconsin-court-affirms-gops-preferred-approach-to-maps/600122336/|url-status=live|access-date=2021-11-30|website=Star Tribune}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Journal|first=Mitchell Schmidt {{!}} Wisconsin State|title=State Supreme Court to follow GOP proposal for 'least-change' approach to redistricting|url=https://madison.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/state-supreme-court-to-follow-gop-proposal-for-least-change-approach-to-redistricting/article_bc518113-3caa-510a-96e8-567ce095b295.html|access-date=2021-11-30|website=madison.com|language=en}}</ref>


==== 2020 Election====
==== 2020 Election====
She issued a dissonant minority opinion in the [[2020 United States presidential election|2020 presidential election]]. None of the dissenting judges said what relief should be given to the Trump campaign.<ref>{{cite web |last=Lambe |first=Jerry |title=Wisconsin's Rejection of a Trump-Backed Supreme Court Candidate Ended Up Being Extremely Important |url=https://lawandcrime.com/2020-election/wisconsins-rejection-of-a-trump-backed-supreme-court-candidate-ended-up-being-extremely-important/ |website=lawandcrime.com|date=December 14, 2020 }}</ref>
She issued a opinion in the [[2020 United States presidential election|2020 presidential election]]. None of the dissenting judges said what relief should be given to the Trump campaign.<ref>{{cite web |last=Lambe |first=Jerry |title=Wisconsin's Rejection of a Trump-Backed Supreme Court Candidate Ended Up Being Extremely Important |url=https://lawandcrime.com/2020-election/wisconsins-rejection-of-a-trump-backed-supreme-court-candidate-ended-up-being-extremely-important/ |website=lawandcrime.com|date=December 14, 2020 }}</ref>


Bradley wrote the 2022 decision, ''Teigen v. Wisconsin Election Commission,'' which held the law prohibited [[ballot drop box]]es.
In the 2022 decision ''Teigen v. Wisconsin Election Commission'' which banned [[ballot drop box]]es, Bradley wrote that the 2020 election of [[Joe Biden]] was illegitimate due to the use of these boxes.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2022/07/wisconsin-supreme-court-ballot-drop-boxes-voting-biden.html |title=Wisconsin Supreme Court Bans Drop Boxes, Suggests Biden's 2020 Victory Was "Illegitimate" |date=July 8, 2022 |work=Slate |first=Mark Joseph |last=Stern}}</ref>


==Electoral history==
==Electoral history==

Revision as of 23:11, 29 March 2023

Rebecca Bradley
Justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court
Incumbent
Assumed office
October 12, 2015
Appointed byScott Walker
Preceded byN. Patrick Crooks
Judge of the Wisconsin Court of Appeals
District I
In office
May 2015 – October 12, 2015
Appointed byScott Walker
Preceded byRalph Adam Fine
Succeeded byWilliam W. Brash III
Wisconsin Circuit Court Judge for the Milwaukee Circuit, Branch 45
In office
December 2012 – May 2015
Appointed byScott Walker
Preceded byThomas Donegan
Succeeded byMichelle Ackerman Havas
Personal details
Born
Rebecca Lynn Grassl

(1971-08-02) August 2, 1971 (age 53)
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S.
EducationMarquette University (BA)
University of Wisconsin, Madison (JD)
WebsiteCampaign website

Rebecca Lynn Grassl Bradley (born August 2, 1971) is an American lawyer and justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court, serving since 2015. She has been a state judge in Wisconsin since 2012. She was appointed to the Supreme Court by Governor Scott Walker in 2015, and won election to a 10-year term in 2016.

Early life and education

Born in Milwaukee, Bradley graduated from Marquette University in 1993 and the University of Wisconsin Law School in 1996.[1][2]

Early law career

Bradley worked as an attorney at several Milwaukee law firms, specializing in commercial litigation and intellectual property law, and as a software company executive.[3] [citation needed] Considered a conservative, Bradley served as president of the Milwaukee Federalist Society chapter.[4] Bradley was a contributor to the campaign of Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker, a Republican.[5]

In December 2012, Walker appointed Bradley to the Milwaukee County Circuit Court, where she served in the children's court division.[1][3] She was elected to a six-year term on the court in April 2013, receiving substantial support from the conservative Wisconsin Club for Growth.[3]

Supreme Court

2015 appointment

In May 2015, Walker elevated Bradley to the Wisconsin Court of Appeals to fill a vacancy caused by the death of Judge Ralph Adam Fine. After the death of Justice N. Patrick Crooks in 2015, Bradley was appointed by Governor Walker to serve as a justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court for the remainder of Crooks' term.[6]

2016 Supreme Court election

Bradley (left) at her 2016 election

After Crooks' death, Bradley, JoAnne Kloppenburg (who narrowly lost a race for the Wisconsin Supreme Court in 2011), and Martin Joseph "Joe" Donald each announced their candidacy for the seat in the 2016 election. In the February 16 primary, Bradley edged Kloppenburg 44.7–43.2%, moving the two of them on to the general election in an even race.[7]

Pre-election polls showed Bradley with a slight lead, but with a significant portion of the electorate still undecided.[8] She was projected as the winner by a 53–47% margin on election night, and she quoted Winston Churchill at the end of her victory speech: "There is nothing more exhilarating than being shot at without result."[9]

Tenure

In June 2019, Bradley wrote the majority opinion for the Wisconsin Supreme Court where the conservatives on the court upheld a series of laws that the Republican-led Wisconsin legislature and Republican Governor Scott Walker passed during a lame-duck session in order to limit the powers of the incoming Democratic Governor (Tony Evers) and Attorney General (Josh Kaul).[10][11]

COVID-19 pandemic

During the coronavirus pandemic, she dissented to a Wisconsin Supreme Court order that ordered the postponement of jury trials and the suspension of in-person court proceedings for public health reasons.[12]

In April 2020, during the pandemic, she joined the conservative majority on the Wisconsin Supreme Court in striking down Governor Evers' order to postpone a 7 April Wisconsin election due to the public health risks of the coronavirus.[13] She voted in person on April 2, although casting a ballot in person before the date of the election is considered an absentee vote in Wisconsin. Examination of Justice Bradley's voting record demonstrates that she voted in person on Election Day in 4 of the 5 previous elections.[14]

In November 2020, while COVID-19 cases were surging in Wisconsin, she was in the Wisconsin Supreme Court's conservative majority that prevented the City of Racine Public Health Department to order school closures.[15]

Gun rights

In 2021, Bradley was the sole judge on the Wisconsin Supreme Court to rule in favor of a man who argued that it was within his Second Amendment rights to brandish his firearms while he was intoxicated and arguing with his roommates.[16] Bradley said that the conviction against the man "erodes a fundamental freedom."[16]

Voting rights

In 2021, Bradley wrote a majority decision for the Wisconsin Supreme Court that ordered changes to 2011 district maps only to the extent necessary to comply with the law. In her decision, Bradley wrote that questions about "partisan fairness" in the redistricting maps "must be resolved through the political process and not by the judiciary."[17][18]

2020 Election

She issued a dissenting opinion in a case regarding the 2020 presidential election. None of the dissenting judges said what relief should be given to the Trump campaign.[19]

Bradley wrote the 2022 decision, Teigen v. Wisconsin Election Commission, which held the law prohibited ballot drop boxes.

Electoral history

Wisconsin Circuit Court (2013)

Wisconsin Circuit Court, Milwaukee Circuit, Branch 45 Election, 2013[20]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Primary election, February 19, 2013
Nonpartisan Rebecca Bradley (incumbent) 32,997 59.64%
Nonpartisan Janet Claire Protasiewicz 16,173 29.23%
Nonpartisan Gil Urfer 6,158 11.13%
Total votes 55,328 100.0%
General election, April 2, 2013
Nonpartisan Rebecca Bradley (incumbent) 55,177 53.13%
Nonpartisan Janet Claire Protasiewicz 48,685 46.87%
Total votes 103,862 100.0%

Wisconsin Supreme Court (2016)

Wisconsin Supreme Court Election, 2016[21]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Primary election, February 16, 2016
Nonpartisan Rebecca Bradley (incumbent) 251,823 44.61%
Nonpartisan JoAnne Kloppenburg 243,190 43.16%
Nonpartisan M. Joseph Donald 68,373 12.12%
Scattering 631 0.11%
Total votes 567,038 100.0%
General election, April 5, 2016
Nonpartisan Rebecca Bradley (incumbent) 1,020,092 52.23%
Nonpartisan JoAnne Kloppenburg 928,377 47.53%
Scattering 4,678 0.24%
Total votes 1,953,147 100.0%

References

  1. ^ a b Garza, Jesse (May 11, 2015). "Walker appoints Judge Rebecca Bradley to District 1 Court of Appeals". The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved July 31, 2015.
  2. ^ Journal, Matthew DeFour | Wisconsin State. "Scott Walker appoints Rebecca Bradley to Supreme Court". madison.com. Retrieved May 6, 2020.
  3. ^ a b c Vielmetti, Bruce (June 27, 2015). "Rebecca Bradley's star rises among conservative judiciary". The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved July 31, 2015.
  4. ^ Vielmetti, Bruce (November 26, 2012). "Rebecca Bradley named circuit judge in Milwaukee". The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved July 31, 2015.
  5. ^ Fischer, Brendan (March 28, 2013). "In a Divided Wisconsin, Scott Walker Even Looms Large in Local Judicial Races". PR Watch. Retrieved July 31, 2015.
  6. ^ Profile, urbanmilwaukee.com, March 9, 2016.
  7. ^ Glauber, Bill (February 25, 2016). "Rebecca Bradley-Joanne Kloppenburg race a dead heat for high court". The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved April 3, 2016.
  8. ^ "Poll: Close race between Rebecca Bradley, JoAnne Cloppenburg". Associated Press. March 30, 2016. Archived from the original on April 4, 2016. Retrieved April 3, 2016.
  9. ^ Marley, Patrick. "Rebecca Bradley beats JoAnne Kloppenburg in high court race". The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved April 6, 2016.
  10. ^ "On 4-3 vote, Wisconsin Supreme Court upholds state's lame-duck laws limiting power of Democratic governor". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved June 22, 2019.
  11. ^ "Wisconsin Supreme Court Sides With GOP Lawmakers To Limit Democratic Governor's Power". NPR.org. Retrieved May 6, 2020.
  12. ^ Journal, Riley Vetterkind | Wisconsin State. "As election nears, COVID-19 pandemic highlights judicial style of Supreme Court candidates". madison.com. Retrieved May 5, 2020.
  13. ^ Johnson, Shawn (April 6, 2020). "Wisconsin's Election Is Happening After State Supreme Court Blocks Evers". Wisconsin Public Radio. Retrieved May 5, 2020.
  14. ^ Bice, Daniel. "Bice: All seven Supreme Court justices voted absentee, even those who hadn't in the past". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved June 13, 2020.
  15. ^ Carson, Sophie. "Wisconsin Supreme Court blocks Racine health order closing public and private schools until it decides on Dane County case". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved November 28, 2020.
  16. ^ a b "Divided Wisconsin Supreme Court upholds man's gun conviction". AP NEWS. May 4, 2021. Retrieved May 4, 2021.
  17. ^ "Top Wisconsin court affirms GOP's preferred approach to maps". Star Tribune. Retrieved November 30, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  18. ^ Journal, Mitchell Schmidt | Wisconsin State. "State Supreme Court to follow GOP proposal for 'least-change' approach to redistricting". madison.com. Retrieved November 30, 2021.
  19. ^ Lambe, Jerry (December 14, 2020). "Wisconsin's Rejection of a Trump-Backed Supreme Court Candidate Ended Up Being Extremely Important". lawandcrime.com.
  20. ^ "Elections". Wisconsin Blue Book 2013-2014 (Report). Madison, Wisconsin: State of Wisconsin. 2013. pp. 876, 878. Retrieved January 1, 2020.
  21. ^ "Elections Results". Wisconsin Blue Book 2017-2018 (Report). Madison, Wisconsin: State of Wisconsin. 2017. pp. 508, 511. Retrieved January 1, 2020.
Legal offices
Preceded by
Thomas P. Donegan
 Wisconsin Circuit Court Judge for the Milwaukee Circuit, Branch 45
2012 – 2015 		Succeeded by
Michelle Ackerman Havas
Preceded by Judge of the Wisconsin Court of Appeals District I
2015 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court
2015 – present 		Incumbent
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