Paul B. Higginbotham

Paul B. Higginbotham (born October 14, 1954) is a retired judge of the Wisconsin Court of Appeals. He was the first African American to serve on the court.[1]

The Honorable
Paul B. Higginbotham
Judge of the Wisconsin Court of Appeals District IV
In office
September 1, 2003 – July 31, 2017
Appointed byJim Doyle
Preceded byPatience D. Roggensack
Succeeded byMichael R. Fitzpatrick
Wisconsin Circuit Court Judge for the Dane Circuit, Branch 17
In office
August 1, 1994 – September 1, 2003
Preceded byPosition Established
Succeeded byJames L. Martin
Personal details
Born (1953-10-14) October 14, 1953
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
ResidenceMadison, Wisconsin
Education

Biography

Higginbotham was born on October 14, 1954, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.[2] His father was a civil rights activist and marched with Martin Luther King Jr., during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. He is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin–Madison and the University of Wisconsin Law School and is a resident of Fitchburg, Wisconsin. Though the judicial offices held were officially non-partisan, he is a Democrat.

Career

From 1985 to 1986, Higginbotham was an attorney with the Legal Aid Society of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He was later a member of the faculty of the University of Wisconsin Law School. From 1992 to 1993, he served as City of Madison, Wisconsin Municipal Judge. He was the a Wisconsin Circuit Court Judge from 1994 until joining the Court of Appeals in 2003.[2] That year he ran for election to the Wisconsin Supreme Court, but was defeated in the February primary election with the seat ultimately going to Patience D. Roggensack. Judge Roggensack's elevation created a vacancy on the Wisconsin Court of Appeals, and Governor Jim Doyle appointed Judge Higginbotham to the empty seat. Judge Higginbotham won re-election without opposition in 2005 and 2011. In May 2016, Higginbotham announced that he would not seek re-election to the Wisconsin Court of Appeals in the 2017 Wisconsin Spring Election.[3][4]

Redistricting commission

After a 2011 redistricting law, passed by a partisan Republican legislature and signed by a Republican governor, Wisconsin became one of the worst gerrymandered states in the country.[5][6] In July 2020, Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers announced the creation of a redistricting commission in an effort to create a nonpartisan alternative to the contentious process that had resulted in years of legal challenges and disputes. Evers appointed Judge Higginbotham, along with retired judges Janine P. Geske and Joseph Troy, as a panel to select the members of the proposed redistricting commission.[7]

Electoral history

Wisconsin Circuit Court (1994, 2000)
Wisconsin Circuit Court, Dane Circuit, Branch 17 Election, 1994[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
General Election, April 5, 1994
Nonpartisan Paul B. Higginbotham 35,864 73.86%
Nonpartisan Hamdy Ezalarab 12,691 26.14%
Total votes '48,555' '100.0%'
Wisconsin Circuit Court, Dane Circuit, Branch 17 Election, 2000[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
General Election, April 4, 2000
Nonpartisan Paul B. Higginbotham (incumbent) 49,239 100.0%
Total votes '49,239' '100.0%'

Wisconsin Supreme Court (2003)
Wisconsin Supreme Court Election, 2003[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Primary Election, February 18, 2003
Nonpartisan Patience D. Roggensack 109,501 39.36%
Nonpartisan Edward R. Brunner 89,494 32.17%
Nonpartisan Paul B. Higginbotham 77,584 27.89%
Scattering 1,604 0.58%
Total votes '278,183' '100.0%'
General Election, April 1, 2003
Nonpartisan Patience D. Roggensack 409,422 51.13%
Nonpartisan Edward R. Brunner 390,215 48.73%
Scattering 1,148 0.14%
Total votes '800,785' '100.0%'

Wisconsin Court of Appeals (2005, 2011)
Wisconsin Court of Appeals District IV Election, 2005[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
General Election, April 5, 2005
Nonpartisan Paul B. Higginbotham (incumbent) 165,592 99.68%
Scattering 527 0.32%
Total votes '166,119' '100.0%'
Wisconsin Court of Appeals District IV Election, 2011[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
General Election, April 5, 2011
Nonpartisan Paul B. Higginbotham (incumbent) 316,583 99.44%
Scattering 1,795 0.56%
Total votes '318,378' '100.0%'

See also

References
  1. "Higginbotham, Paul B." Our Campaigns.com. Retrieved 2011-11-22.
  2. "Judge Paul B. Higginbotham". Wisconsin Court System. Retrieved November 22, 2011.
  3. State Appeals Court Judge Paul Higginbotham Wouldn't Seek Re-Election, Wisconsin State Journal, Ed Trevelen, May 18, 2016
  4. "Higginbotham Ending Judicial Career". The Post-Crescent. May 19, 2016. p. A9. Retrieved March 2, 2019 – via Newspapers.com. open access
  5. Kertscher, Tom. "On whether Wisconsin is the most gerrymandered state". PolitiFact. Retrieved September 14, 2020.
  6. Gilbert, Craig (December 6, 2018). "New election data highlights the ongoing impact of 2011 GOP redistricting in Wisconsin". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved September 14, 2020.
  7. Schmidt, Mitchell (July 10, 2020). "Gov. Tony Evers appoints judges to select members of redistricting commission, application process opens". Wisconsin State Journal. Retrieved September 14, 2020.
  8. Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau. "Elections in Wisconsin". In Barish, Lawrence S. (ed.). State of Wisconsin 1995-1996 Blue Book (Report). State of Wisconsin. p. 880. Retrieved February 24, 2020.
  9. Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau. "Elections in Wisconsin". In Barish, Lawrence S.; Meloy, Patricia E. (eds.). State of Wisconsin 2001-2002 Blue Book (Report). State of Wisconsin. p. 902. Retrieved February 24, 2020.
  10. Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau. "Elections in Wisconsin". State of Wisconsin 2003-2004 Blue Book (Report). State of Wisconsin. p. 891. Retrieved February 24, 2020.
  11. Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau. "Elections" (PDF). State of Wisconsin 2005-2006 Blue Book (Report). State of Wisconsin. p. 895. Retrieved February 24, 2020.
  12. Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau. "Elections" (PDF). State of Wisconsin 2011-2012 Blue Book (Report). State of Wisconsin. p. 877. Retrieved February 24, 2020.
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