Paul Rifelj
Paul Rifelj was a judge for the Milwaukee County Circuit Court in Wisconsin.[1] He was appointed by Gov. Scott Walker (R) to replace Daniel Noonan on December 14, 2015.[2]
Rifelj lost his bid for a full term in the general election on April 5, 2016.[3]
Education
Rifelj earned his bachelor's degree and J.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.[2]
Career
Rifelj served as an assistant public defender for Milwaukee County's juvenile court prior to his appointment.[2]
Elections
2016
Wisconsin held general elections for local judicial offices on April 5, 2016. A primary election took place on February 16, 2016. The filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was January 5, 2016. Hannah Dugan defeated incumbent Paul Rifelj in the Milwaukee County Circuit Court general election for Branch 31.[3]
| Milwaukee County Circuit Court (Branch 31), General Election, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
 Hannah Dugan |
64.54% | 110,779 |
| Paul Rifelj Incumbent | 34.71% | 59,576 |
| Write-in votes | 0.76% | 1,302 |
| Total Votes | 171,657 | |
| Source: Milwaukee County, "Spring Election Unofficial Results," accessed April 5, 2016 | ||
Selection method
- See also: Nonpartisan election of judges
The 241 judges of the Wisconsin Circuit Courts are elected in nonpartisan elections to six-year terms. All judges must run for re-election if they wish to continue serving after their term expires.[4]
The chief judge of each circuit court is chosen by the state supreme court to serve a two-year term.[4]
Qualifications
To serve on the circuit courts, a judge must be:[4]
- a qualified elector in the state;
- a qualified elector of his or her circuit (for circuit judges); and
- licensed to practice law in the state for at least five years.
Endorsements
2016
Rifelj received the following endorsements in 2016:[5]
- Milwaukee Area Labor Council AFL-CIO
- Milwaukee Police Association
- Milwaukee Professional Firefighters Local 215
- Milwaukee Deputy Sheriff's Association
- Iron Workers Local 8
- Appeals Court Judge William Brash
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Paul Rifelj Wisconsin. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
- Milwaukee County Circuit Court
- Milwaukee County, Wisconsin
- Local trial court judicial elections, 2016
- Courts in Wisconsin
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Milwaukee County Website, "Judges by Alphabetical Order," accessed December 15, 2015
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Scott Walker appoints public defender to Milwaukee County judge seat," December 14, 2015
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Wisconsin Government Accountability Board, "Candidates Registered by Office," accessed January 12, 2016
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 American Judicature Society, "Methods of Judicial Selection: Wisconsin," archived October 3, 2014
- ↑ Citizens for Judge Paul Rifelj, "About Judge Paul Rifelj," accessed March 6, 2016
Federal courts:
Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: Eastern District of Wisconsin, Western District of Wisconsin • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: Eastern District of Wisconsin, Western District of Wisconsin
State courts:
Wisconsin Supreme Court • Wisconsin Court of Appeals • Wisconsin Circuit Courts • Wisconsin Municipal Courts
State resources:
Courts in Wisconsin • Wisconsin judicial elections • Judicial selection in Wisconsin
