Richard S. Brown
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Richard S. Brown | |
|---|---|
| Chief Judge of the Wisconsin Court of Appeals | |
| In office August 1, 2007 – July 31, 2015 | |
| Preceded by | Thomas Cane |
| Succeeded by | Lisa Neubauer |
| Judge of the Wisconsin Court of Appeals for the 2nd district | |
| In office August 1, 1978 – July 31, 2015 | |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Brian Hagedorn |
| Personal details | |
| Born | March 31, 1946 Racine, Wisconsin, U.S. |
| Spouse |
Nancy Lynn Cory (m. 1969) |
| Children | 4 |
| Parent |
|
| Education | |
| Profession | Lawyer, judge |
Richard Searle Brown (born March 31, 1946) is an American jurist and the retired chief judge of the Wisconsin Court of Appeals. Brown served as a Court of Appeals judge from 1978 to 2015 and as chief judge from 2007; his service on the court concluded on July 31, 2015.[1] His father, Manny S. Brown, served four terms in the Wisconsin State Assembly.
Richard Brown was born in Racine, Wisconsin;[2] he graduated from Miami University in 1968 and the University of Wisconsin Law School in 1971.[2] He served as an assistant district attorney in Racine County from 1971 until 1973, when he entered private practice in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, specializing in commercial litigation.[3] In 1978, Brown was elected to a judgeship on the newly created Wisconsin Court of Appeals, serving in the court's Waukesha-based District II.[4] At the time of his election, Brown was the youngest judge serving in Wisconsin's courts.[3] In 1983, Brown was appointed presiding judge of District II.[5] Also in 1983, Brown, who is hearing-impaired, became the first judge to use a real-time, computerized transcription system in a Wisconsin courtroom.[6]
In 1990, Brown challenged Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Donald Steinmetz, a conservative incumbent, in his reelection bid.[4] After a contentious campaign, Brown was defeated in the April general election, despite receiving considerable support and the endorsement of the Milwaukee Journal.[7][8] Brown continued to serve on the Court of Appeals; in May 2007, he was named the court's chief judge and assumed that office on August 1.[9]
On February 2, 2015, Brown announced his retirement from the Court of Appeals, effective August 2.[10]
