Daniel Kelly (Wisconsin judge)
Daniel Kelly (born February 25, 1964) is an American attorney and judge who has served as a Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice since August 1, 2016.[1] He was appointed by Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker to fill the unexpired term of Justice David Prosser.[2] Before he was appointed by Walker, Kelly was a conservative attorney who defended Walker's legislation, including a 2011 redistricting plan that was struck down by courts for discriminating against black voters with surgical precision.[3]
Daniel Kelly | |
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Justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court | |
Assumed office August 1, 2016 | |
Appointed by | Scott Walker |
Preceded by | David Prosser, Jr. |
Succeeded by | Jill Karofsky (elect) |
Personal details | |
Born | Santa Barbara, California, U.S. | February 25, 1964
Education | Carroll University (BA) Regent University (JD) |
Website | Campaign website |
Early life and education
Born in Santa Barbara, California, Kelly graduated from Carroll University and, in 1991, from the evangelical Christian Regent University's Regent University School of Law, where he was founding editor-in-chief of the law review.[4] During Kelly's time at Regent, the law school was dominated by adherents of Dominion theology. [5]
Career
Kelly is a commercial litigator and founding partner of Rogahn Kelly LLC.[6] Before starting the firm, Kelly was a shareholder at Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren, s.c. in Milwaukee. Kelly is a member of The Federalist Society, the Wisconsin State Advisory Committee to the United States Commission on Civil Rights, and the President's Council of Carroll University. He has appeared before the U.S. Supreme Court, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, and Wisconsin Supreme Court.[7]
Kelly represented state Republicans in a federal trial over a lawsuit challenging the 2010 redrawing of legislative districts. Kelly was previously vice president and general counsel for the Kern Family Foundation, a philanthropic family foundation that invests in programs to support entrepreneurship, education, work, and character.[8]
Wisconsin Supreme Court
After the announcement of the nearing retirement of Justice Prosser, in 2016, Kelly was appointed by Governor Scott Walker to serve as a justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court. Under Wisconsin law, the seat would come up for election on the next spring election when no other Wisconsin Supreme Court seat was up for election.[9] Justice Kelly ran for a full term on the court when it came up for election in 2020, but was defeated by Wisconsin Circuit Court judge Jill Karofsky. Justice Kelly's term in office is scheduled to end July 31, 2020.[10]
On his defeat, Kelly said, "It has been the highest honor of my career to serve the people of Wisconsin on their Supreme Court these past four years. Obviously I had hoped my service would continue for another decade, but tonight’s results make clear that God has a different plan for my future."[11]
Views
After Obama's 2012 re-election win, Kelly said his re-election was a win for the “socialism/same-sex marriage/recreational marijuana/tax increase crowd.”[12] Kelly has likened Social Security to slavery.[3] He has argued that U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Obergefell v. Hodges, which ruled that bans on same-sex marriage were unconstitutional, was illegitimate.[12] In 2014, Kelly wrote that slavery and affirmative action were, under the law, morally the same. Kelly wrote that both institutions "spring from the same taproot" and that "neither can exist without the foundational principle that it is acceptable to force someone into an unwanted economic relationship."[13]
Personal life
Kelly is married and has five children. Kelly and his family reside in North Prairie, Wisconsin.
Electoral history
Kelly was appointed to the Wisconsin Supreme Court by Governor Scott Walker in 2016 for a term expiring in 2020.[14] He lost his bid for election to a full term on the court to Dane County Circuit Court Judge Jill Karofsky. Justice Kelly had been endorsed by President Donald Trump.[15]
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
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Primary Election, February 18, 2020 | |||||
Nonpartisan | Daniel Kelly (incumbent) | 352,876 | 50.04% | ||
Nonpartisan | Jill J. Karofsky | 261,783 | 37.13% | ||
Nonpartisan | Ed Fallone | 89,184 | 12.65% | ||
n/a | Scattering | 1,295 | 0.18% | ||
Total votes | 705,138 | 100.0% | |||
General Election, April 7, 2020 | |||||
Nonpartisan | Jill J. Karofsky | 856,344 | 55.28% | ||
Nonpartisan | Daniel Kelly (incumbent) | 692,731 | 44.72% | ||
Total votes | 1,549,075 | 100.0% |
References
- Beck, Molly (July 23, 2016). "Scott Walker picks Waukesha lawyer Daniel Kelly for seat on Supreme Court | Politics and Elections". host.madison.com. Wisconsin State Journal. Retrieved December 10, 2016.
- Walker, Scott (July 22, 2016). "Governor Walker Appoints Daniel Kelly to the Wisconsin Supreme Court". Urban Milwaukee. Retrieved December 10, 2016.
- Journal, Riley Vetterkind | Wisconsin State. "As election nears, COVID-19 pandemic highlights judicial style of Supreme Court candidates". madison.com. Retrieved May 5, 2020.
- "Regent University School of Law Alumnus Selected to Supreme Court of Wisconsin". November 22, 2016.
- Cox, Harvey (November 1995). "The Warring Visions of the Religious Right". The Atlantic. Retrieved May 14, 2020.
- "Archived copy". Archived from the original on August 7, 2016. Retrieved August 4, 2016.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
- "Wisconsin Court System Biography". Wisconsin Court System. State of Wisconsin. Retrieved April 15, 2019.
- Shah, Haleema (July 25, 2016). "Walker Appoints Justice Daniel Kelly To Wisconsin Supreme Court". Wpr.org. Retrieved December 10, 2016.
- "Gov. Scott Walker appoints attorney Dan Kelly to Wisconsin Supreme Court". FOX6Now.com. July 22, 2016. Retrieved December 10, 2016.
- Epstein, Reid J. (April 13, 2020). "Jill Karofsky Wins Wisconsin Supreme Court Race in a Boost for Liberals". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved April 14, 2020.
- Paukner, Michaela (April 14, 2020). "Walker judicial appointees fail to keep seats, plus more judicial election results". Wisconsin Law Journal. Retrieved April 14, 2020.
- Journal, Riley Vetterkind | Wisconsin State. "As election nears, COVID-19 pandemic highlights judicial style of Supreme Court candidates". madison.com. Retrieved May 5, 2020.
- Beck, Molly. "Supreme Court Justice Daniel Kelly seeks 10-year term on court". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved May 5, 2020.
- "Gov. Walker Picks Dan Kelly to Replace Justice Prosser on Supreme Court". WisBar. Retrieved March 6, 2020.
- Epstein, Reid J. (April 13, 2020). "Upset Victory in Wisconsin Supreme Court Race Gives Democrats a Lift". The New York Times. Retrieved April 13, 2020.
- Canvass Results for 2020 Spring Primary (PDF) (Report). Wisconsin Elections Commission. February 18, 2020. p. 1. Retrieved March 10, 2020.
External links
- Wisconsin Supreme Court
- Official Wisconsin courts bio
- Campaign website
- Daniel Kelly (Wisconsin) at Ballotpedia
Legal offices | ||
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Preceded by David Prosser, Jr. |
Justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court 2016 – present |
Incumbent |