Patricia S. Curley (born October 25, 1946) is an American lawyer and retired judge. She served on the Wisconsin Court of Appeals in the Milwaukee-based District I from 1996 until her retirement in 2016, and served as its presiding judge from 2007. Prior to her election to the Court of Appeals, she served 18 years as a Wisconsin circuit court judge in Milwaukee County.
Biography
Born in Milwaukee,[1] Curley is the daughter of Judge Robert M. Curley, a legislator and Wisconsin Circuit Court judge.[2] She received her bachelor's degree from Marquette University in 1969 and graduated from Marquette University Law School in 1973.[1] From 1973 to 1978, Curley was employed as an assistant district attorney in Milwaukee County,[1] serving in the office's sensitive crimes unit[3] under District Attorney E. Michael McCann.
In July 1978, Curley was appointed to the Milwaukee County Circuit Court by Governor Martin J. Schreiber; she was elected to a six-year term on the court in April 1979 and subsequently re-elected in 1985 and 1991.[4] During her tenure on the circuit court, Curley specialized in family law and served ten years as a family court judge.[3]
In 1996, Judge Curley challenged incumbent Wisconsin Court of Appeals Judge Michael T. Sullivan.[3] After a contentious campaign,[5] Curley defeated Judge Sullivan. Judge Curley went on to win re-election in 2002 and 2008. In 2007, Curley succeeded Judge Ted E. Wedemeyer, Jr., as presiding judge of District I.
Electoral history
Wisconsin Circuit Court (1979, 1985, 1991)
Wisconsin Court of Appeals (1996, 2002, 2008, 2014)
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Primary Election, February 6, 1996 | |||||
| Nonpartisan | Patricia S. Curley | 38,023 | 45.19% | ||
| Nonpartisan | Michael T. Sullivan (incumbent) | 37,875 | 45.02% | ||
| Nonpartisan | Lew A. Wasserman | 8,238 | 9.79% | ||
| Total votes | '84,136' | '100.0%' | |||
| General Election, March 19, 1996 | |||||
| Nonpartisan | Patricia S. Curley | 136,650 | 66.97% | ||
| Nonpartisan | Michael T. Sullivan (incumbent) | 67,386 | 33.03% | ||
| Total votes | '204,036' | '100.0%' | |||
References
- ^ a b c "Presiding Judge Patricia S. Curley". Wisconsin Court System. Archived from the original on June 22, 2013. Retrieved November 23, 2011.
- ^ "Judge Robert Curley is Retiring". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. January 6, 1983. Retrieved August 4, 2015.
- ^ a b c Daley, Dave (October 9, 1995). "Sullivan seeks another term on Appeals Court". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved August 4, 2015.
- ^ Morrison, Helane (April 3, 1979). "Women Elected to Bench for 1st Time in County". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved August 4, 2015.
- ^ Janz, William (26 March 1996). "Judge Sullivan earned his 'your honor'". The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved 4 August 2015.
- ^ Barish, Lawrence S., ed. (1997). "Elections in Wisconsin". State of Wisconsin 1997-1998 Blue Book (Report). Madison, Wisconsin: State of Wisconsin. pp. 871–872. Retrieved March 28, 2020.