David Prosser Jr.

For the Welsh Anglican clergyman, who was Archbishop of Wales from 1944 to 1949, see David Prosser.

David Prosser, Jr.
Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice
Incumbent
Assumed office 1998
Appointed by	Tommy Thompson
Preceded by	Janine Geske
Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly from the 57th Assembly District
In office January 3, 1982 – January 3, 1992
Personal details
Born	(1942-12-24) 24 December 1942 Chicago, Illinois
Alma mater	B.A. in political science from DePauw University
Profession	Legislator, Supreme Court Justice

David Prosser Jr. (born December 24, 1942) is a justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court. He was appointed to the Court by Governor Tommy G. Thompson in 1998, and elected in 2001. His current term expires July 31, 2011. On May 3, 2009 he told Wispolitics of his intention to run for re-election in 2011. In the primary election he received over 52 percent of the vote, and will face assistant State Attorney General JoAnne Kloppenburg in the general election.

Career

A Chicago native, Prosser was raised in Appleton, Wisconsin. He received his bachelor’s degree from DePauw University in 1965 and his law degree from the University of Wisconsin Law School in 1968.

Prosser served as Outagamie County district attorney for two years, and worked in Washington, D.C. as an attorney/advisor in the Office of Criminal Justice, U.S. Department of Justice, then as administrative assistant to Congressman Harold Vernon Froehlich, a member of the House Judiciary Committee during the Watergate impeachment inquiry.

Prosser represented the Appleton area in the Wisconsin State Assembly as a Republican from 1979 through 1996. During his tenure, he served six years as Assembly minority leader and two years as Assembly speaker. For 14 years, he was a legislative member of the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws. Before joining the Supreme Court, Justice Prosser served on the Wisconsin Tax Appeals Commission where he conducted hearings and issued decisions on a variety of disputes related to Wisconsin taxation.

Controversies

In 1979, while District Attorney of Outagamie County, David Prosser refused to prosecute a priest who had sexually abused two children (aged 12 and 14), telling their mother that "it would be too hard on [her] boys." The priest went on to abuse other children before being sent to jail in 2004. Interviewed twenty-nine years later, one of the victims commented that at the time, "[he] was ready to take the stand. [Prosser] said that 'it would be too embarrassing for a kid [his] age' and said 'what jury would believe a kid testifying against a priest?'" In 2008, Prosser stated regarding the case that he did nothing wrong, and did not file charges because he did not think he could win the case. He later recused himself from the case.

Prosser has voted to not require a judge to recuse himself or herself solely because the judge's campaign committee received previous lawful political contributions from one or more involved parties.

On February 10, 2010, while the Wisconsin Supreme Court was debating a case behind closed doors, Prosser called Chief Justice Shirley Abrahamson "a total bitch" and threatened to "destroy her." He went on to specify the "destruction" as happening through a war against her, "and it won't be a ground war." This fact was reported in 2011, and Prosser acknowledged it. In reaction, he stated, "I probably overreacted, but I think it was entirely warranted." He characterized his outburst as justified because Abrahamson (as well as other justices) had "deliberately [goaded him] into perhaps incautious statements. This is bullying and abuse." He also accused the recent revelations as politically influenced in an attempt to hurt his bid for re-election. According to Justice Ann Walsh Bradley, Prosser has had these outbursts over the years, but there hasn't been one of significant magnitude since this one. She also commented, "You can say a lot of good things about David Prosser - and I do, and he is a good man - but you cannot accurately say he has a steady, even temperament."

In December 2010, Prosser's campaign said that "his personal ideology more closely mirrors" the Walker administration. A statement from one of his campaign opponents, JoAnne Kloppenburg, was reported to have said "he would serve as a complement to Republicans" in the governor's office and the state legislature.

External links

• Dictionary of Wisconsin History
• Campaign Website
• Justice Prosser Profile on Judgepedia.