Ted E. Wedemeyer Jr. (August 30, 1932 – July 23, 2008) was an American lawyer and a judge of the Wisconsin Court of Appeals. Wedemeyer served twice on the court's Milwaukee-based District I; he was the district's presiding judge from 1983 to 1985 and from 1992 until 2007.
Early life and career
Wedemeyer's father, Ted Sr., was an attorney and politician who served as a Milwaukee alderman, as a civil court judge, and as a Milwaukee County supervisor.[1] Wedemeyer Jr. graduated from Marquette University Law School and worked as a private practice attorney in Milwaukee from 1957 to 1974.[2][3] Wedemeyer was active in Democratic politics; he served on the executive board of the Milwaukee County Democratic Party and chaired Milwaukee Mayor Henry Maier's campaign committee.[4][5] In the early 1970s, Wedemeyer was appointed by Maier to chair the Milwaukee Board of Zoning Appeals.[4]
Judicial career
In 1974, Wedemeyer assisted in the development and organization of the Milwaukee Municipal Court, a limited-jurisdiction court hearing city ordinance violations. In November 1974, Maier appointed Wedemeyer as one of the court's first two judges.[4] He served as a municipal judge until 1977, when he was appointed to the Milwaukee County Circuit Court by Acting Governor Marty Schreiber.[2] In 1982, he challenged Wisconsin Court of Appeals Judge Rudolph T. Randa for his seat on the court's Milwaukee-based District I.[6] Wedemeyer unseated Randa in the April general election;[6] from 1983 to 1985, he served as District I's presiding judge.[2]
In the leadup to the 1988 Milwaukee mayoral election, Wedemeyer was suggested as a possible successor to the retiring Maier, but ultimately did not run.[7] Instead, he was challenged for reelection to the Court of Appeals by Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Ralph Adam Fine, who touted his opposition to plea bargaining and defeated Wedemeyer after a contentious campaign.[8] Governor Tommy Thompson, a Republican, appointed Wedemeyer to replace Fine on the circuit court.[9]
In 1992, Wedemeyer was returned to the Court of Appeals; he was elected without opposition to a newly created seat in District I.[10] He became the district's presiding judge in the same year, occupying that office until 2007.[2] He sought election to the Wisconsin Supreme Court in 1995 and received support from the Milwaukee press,[11] but failed to survive the February primary election.[12]
Wedemeyer was noted for his involvement in community service activities. Active in promoting soccer in Wisconsin through the Milwaukee Kickers organization,[13] he was inducted into the Wisconsin Soccer Association Hall of Fame in 1992.[14]
Death
Wedemeyer died of lung cancer, while still in office, on July 23, 2008.
Electoral history
Wisconsin Circuit Court (1978)
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Election, April 4, 1978 | |||||
| Nonpartisan | Ted E. Wedemeyer Jr. | 53,091 | 100.0% | ||
| Total votes | '53,091' | '100.0%' | |||
Wisconsin Court of Appeals (1982, 1988, 1992)
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Election, April 6, 1982 | |||||
| Nonpartisan | Ted E. Wedemeyer Jr. | 36,724 | 59.59% | ||
| Nonpartisan | Rudolph T. Randa (incumbent) | 24,903 | 40.41% | ||
| Total votes | '61,627' | '100.0%' | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Election, April 5, 1988 | |||||
| Nonpartisan | Ralph Adam Fine | 187,375 | 62.04% | ||
| Nonpartisan | Ted E. Wedemeyer Jr. (incumbent) | 114,634 | 37.96% | -21.63% | |
| Total votes | '302,009' | '100.0%' | +390.06% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Election, April 7, 1992 | |||||
| Nonpartisan | Ted E. Wedemeyer Jr. | 183,855 | 100.0% | ||
| Total votes | '183,855' | '100.0%' | |||
Wisconsin Supreme Court (1995)
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Primary Election, February 21, 1995 | |||||
| Nonpartisan | Ann Walsh Bradley | 131,889 | 38.85% | ||
| Nonpartisan | N. Patrick Crooks | 88,913 | 26.19% | ||
| Nonpartisan | Ted E. Wedemeyer Jr. | 64,668 | 19.05% | ||
| Nonpartisan | Patience D. Roggensack | 41,303 | 12.16% | ||
| Nonpartisan | William A. Pangman | 12,753 | 3.76% | ||
| Total votes | '339,526' | '100.0%' | |||
| General Election, April 4, 1995 | |||||
| Nonpartisan | Ann Walsh Bradley | 514,588 | 54.82% | ||
| Nonpartisan | N. Patrick Crooks | 424,110 | 45.18% | ||
| Total votes | '938,698' | '100.0%' | |||
Wisconsin Court of Appeals (1997, 2003)
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Election, April 1, 1997 | |||||
| Nonpartisan | Ted E. Wedemeyer Jr. (incumbent) | 72,254 | 100.0% | ||
| Total votes | '72,254' | '100.0%' | -60.70% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Election, April 1, 2003 | |||||
| Nonpartisan | Ted E. Wedemeyer Jr. (incumbent) | 67,116 | 100.0% | ||
| Total votes | '67,116' | '100.0%' | -7.11% | ||
References
- ^ "Ex-official stricken after wife dies". The Milwaukee Journal. March 5, 1983. Retrieved August 8, 2015.
- ^ a b c d "Ted E. Wedemeyer Jr". Wisconsin Court System. Retrieved 2011-11-23.
- ^ Rabideau Silvers, Amy (July 25, 2008). "Wedemeyer helped outside the courtroom". The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved August 8, 2015.
- ^ a b c "Wedemeyer Thought Twice Before Judgeship Verdict". The Milwaukee Sentinel. November 19, 1974. Retrieved August 8, 2015.
- ^ Knoche, Eldon; Walters, Steven (April 5, 1988). "Maier not endorsing Fine in ad, Wedemeyer says". The Milwaukee Sentinel. Retrieved August 8, 2015.
- ^ a b Wilson, Sandy (April 7, 1982). "Wedemeyer wins Appeals Court race". The Milwaukee Sentinel. Retrieved August 8, 2015.
- ^ Hendrickson, Dave (March 1, 1987). "Many friends, few enemies". The Milwaukee Journal. Retrieved August 8, 2015.
- ^ Ward, Mark (November 27, 1988). "Fine heading back to campaign trail". The Milwaukee Journal. Retrieved August 8, 2015.
- ^ Christopulos, Mike (November 15, 1991). "Wedemeyer to run for new seat". The Milwaukee Sentinel. Retrieved August 8, 2015.
- ^ Lamke, Kenneth R. (January 5, 1995). "Wedemeyer cites bench experience". The Milwaukee Sentinel. Retrieved August 8, 2015.
- ^ "Judicial resume: Wedemeyer qualified for Supreme Court". The Milwaukee Sentinel. February 13, 1995. Retrieved August 8, 2015.
- ^ "Judges Bradley, Crooks advance in high court race". The Milwaukee Sentinel. February 22, 1995. Retrieved August 8, 2015.
- ^ "Soccer boom reflected in entries for Journal tournament". The Milwaukee Journal. July 3, 1981. Retrieved August 8, 2015.
- ^ "Ted E. Wedemeyer, Jr". Wisconsin Soccer Association. Retrieved 2011-11-23.
- ^ Theobald, H. Rupert; Robbins, Patricia V., eds. (1979). "Elections in Wisconsin". The state of Wisconsin 1979-1980 Blue Book (Report). Madison, Wisconsin: State of Wisconsin. p. 886. Retrieved January 4, 2020.
- ^ Theobald, H. Rupert; Robbins, Patricia V., eds. (1983). "Elections in Wisconsin". The state of Wisconsin 1983-1984 Blue Book (Report). Madison, Wisconsin: State of Wisconsin. p. 886. Retrieved January 4, 2020.
- ^ Barish, Lawrence S.; Theobald, H. Rupert, eds. (1989). "Elections in Wisconsin". State of Wisconsin 1989-1990 Blue Book (Report). Madison, Wisconsin: State of Wisconsin. p. 886. Retrieved January 4, 2020.
- ^ Barish, Lawrence S.; Theobald, H. Rupert, eds. (1993). "Elections in Wisconsin". State of Wisconsin 1993-1994 Blue Book (Report). Madison, Wisconsin: State of Wisconsin. p. 876. Retrieved January 4, 2020.
- ^ Barish, Lawrence S., ed. (1995). "Elections in Wisconsin". State of Wisconsin 1995-1996 Blue Book (Report). Madison, Wisconsin: State of Wisconsin. p. 893. Retrieved January 4, 2020.
- ^ Barish, Lawrence S., ed. (1997). "Elections in Wisconsin". State of Wisconsin 1999-2000 Blue Book (Report). Madison, Wisconsin: State of Wisconsin. p. 872. Retrieved January 4, 2020.
- ^ Barish, Lawrence S., ed. (2003). "Elections in Wisconsin". State of Wisconsin 2003-2004 Blue Book (Report). Madison, Wisconsin: State of Wisconsin. p. 892. Retrieved January 4, 2020.