William Bauer

William Bauer

Nonpartisan

United States Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit (senior status)

Tenure

1994 - Present

Years in position

30

Prior offices

United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois

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United States Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit

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Education

Bachelor's

Elmhurst College, 1949

Law

DePaul University College of Law, 1952

Personal

Birthplace

Chicago, Ill.

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William Joseph Bauer is a federal judge on senior status with the United States Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit. He joined the court in 1974 after being nominated by President Gerald Ford. Bauer assumed senior status on October 31, 1994.

Education

Bauer graduated from Elmhurst College with his bachelor's degree in 1949, and from DePaul University College of Law with his J.D. in 1952.

Military service

Bauer served in the U.S. Army from 1945 to 1947.

Professional career

• 1970-1971: U.S. Attorney, Northern District of Illinois
• 1964-1970: Judge, Illinois Eighteenth Judicial Circuit Court
• 1959-1964: State attorney, DuPage County
• 1956-1958: First assistant state's attorney, DuPage County
• 1952-1956: Assistant state's attorney, DuPage County State Attorney's Office

Judicial career

7th Circuit Court of Appeals

Nomination Tracker
Nominee Information
Name: William J. Bauer
Court: United States Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit
Progress
Confirmed 8 days after nomination.
ANominated: December 11, 1974
AABA Rating:
Questionnaire:
AHearing:
QFRs: (Hover over QFRs to read more)
AReported:
AConfirmed: December 19, 1974

Bauer was nominated by President Gerald Ford on December 11, 1974, to a seat vacated by Judge Otto Kerner, Jr. Bauer was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on December 19, 1974, and he received his commission on December 20, 1974. Bauer served as chief judge of the court from 1986 to 1993. He assumed senior status on October 31, 1994. He was succeeded in this position by Judge Diane Wood.

Northern District of Illinois

Bauer was nominated by President Richard Nixon on September 14, 1971, to a seat vacated by Judge Joseph Perry. Bauer was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on November 8, 1971, and he received commission on November 10, 1971. Bauer resigned from the Northern District of Illinois on January 3, 1975, upon his elevation to the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals. Bauer was succeeded in this position by Judge Alfred Kirkland.

Noteworthy cases

Hal Turner threatens fed. judges (2009-2010)

See also: United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois (United States, v. Harold Turner, 1:09-cr-00542)

Judge Bauer faced a death threat from a blogger in the State of New Jersey after the ruling in the National Rifle Association v. Chicago case. The death threat happened after Judge Bauer participated in the gun rights case with fellow judges Frank Easterbrook and Richard Posner.

The three judges, on June 2, 2009, unanimously upheld a ban on handguns in the City of Chicago, finding that it was not preempted by the Second Amendment. Hal Turner, a popular blogger from New Jersey, wrote of his outrage over the decision, suggesting that the judges should be killed and that he would provide information about their home addresses.

On March 2, 2010, Judge Bauer, along with fellow Seventh Circuit judges Frank Easterbrook and Richard Posner, were called to testify in the Eastern District of New York. The trial was moved to New York over security issues.

When asked by the prosecuting attorney if the Supreme Court overturned his ruling in McDonald v. Chicago and whether Turner could be correct on his statement, Judge Easterbrook responded by saying, "This blog post says any judge who decides a case incorrectly who should be assassinated. That is not the way the system works."

In August 2010, Turner was convicted in his second trial, and sentenced to 33 months in prison. He appealed, claiming again that he had engaged in political speech protected by the First Amendment. The Second Circuit upheld the conviction, saying that while Turner had a constitutionally protected right to criticize courts, he had no such right, and it is against the law, to threaten the lives of judges with intent. Turner argued that his statements were 'political hyperbole', but this argument was rejected.

John Doe investigations

See also: John Doe investigations related to Scott Walker

Two John Doe investigations, beginning in 2010 and ending in 2015, were launched by Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm (D) into the activities of staff and associates of Gov. Scott Walker (R). On February 10, 2014, Eric O'Keefe, a target in the second investigation, filed a federal lawsuit stating that the investigation was used as an instrument to shut down conservative speech and therefore violated the targets' First Amendment rights. The suit was filed with the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin. Prosecutors subsequently filed an appeal with the Seventh Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals.

On September 9, 2014, the Seventh Circuit heard oral arguments on the appeal. During arguments, Judge Frank Easterbrook questioned the constitutionality of the secrecy orders, stating they were “screaming with unconstitutionality.” Judge Diane Wood focused on why the suit was filed in federal court. O'Keefe's attorneys pointed to the fact that the Wisconsin Supreme Court had yet to take up the cases filed in state court. Judge William Bauer also heard the case.

See also

• United States Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit

External links

• Judge Bauer's Biography from the Federal Judicial Center

Footnotes

Political offices
Preceded by: Joseph Perry	Northern District of Illinois 1971–1975 Seat #3T	Succeeded by: Alfred Kirkland
Preceded by: Otto Kerner, Jr.	Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals 1974–1994	Succeeded by: Diane Wood