The names of applicants to fill the seat of the federal judge for the western Wisconsin district based in Madison were released on Tuesday. The names of those hoping to become the next U.S. Attorney in the Milwaukee-based eastern district were also released. 13 people are applying for the judge’s position. 10 are applying for the U.S. Attorney spot.
The highest profile candidate to seek the judge’s position is former state Supreme Court Justice Louis Butler. The judicial opening is due to the retirement of U.S. District Judge John Shabaz. The 77-year-old resigned in January.
Along with Butler, four other judges applied. They are U.S. Magistrate Judge Stephen Crocker, District 4 Appeals Court Judge Paul Higginbotham, La Crosse County Circuit Judge Ramona Gonzalez and Eau Claire County Circuit Judge Lisa Stark. Six Madison attorneys applied. They are Eric Barber, James Cole, William Conley, Kendall Harrison, Stephen J. Meyer and James D. Peterson. Other applicants were John Schweitzer, an attorney with the state Department of Regulation and Licensing, and Stephen Sinnott, an assistant U.S. attorney in Madison.
Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Maxine White was the only judge who applied for the U.S. attorney opening. Five assistant U.S. attorneys in Milwaukee applied: Richard Frohling, Mel Johnson, William Lipscomb, James Santelle and Karine Moreno Taxman. David Feiss, a Milwaukee County assistant district attorney, and two Milwaukee attorneys, Alex Flynn and Daniel Vaccaro, also applied. The final applicant was Robert Jambois, the head attorney for the state Department of Transportation and a former Kenosha County district attorney.