William Conley (Wisconsin)
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2010 - Present
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William Martin Conley is a federal judge on the United States District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin. He was nominated in 2009 by President Obama and he joined the court in 2010. From 2010 to 2017, Conley served as the district court's chief judge.
Early life and education
A native of Rice Lake, Wisconsin, Conley earned his bachelor's degree and his J.D. from the University of Wisconsin in 1978 and 1982, respectively.[1]
Professional career
- 2010 - Present: Judge, United States District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin
- 2010-2017: Chief judge
- 1984-2010: Private practice, Madison, Wis.
- 1982-1984: Law clerk, Hon. Thomas Fairchild, United States Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit[1]
Judicial career
Western District of Wisconsin
 |
| Nominee Information |
| Name: William M. Conley |
| Court: United States District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin |
| Progress |
| Confirmed 126 days after nomination. |
 Nominated: October 29, 2009
|
| ABA Rating: Unanimously Well Qualified (with one abstention)
|
| Questionnaire: |
| Hearing: November 18, 2009
|
| QFRs: (Hover over QFRs to read more) |
| Reported: December 10, 2009
|
| Confirmed: March 4, 2010
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| Vote: 99-0
|
Conley was nominated to fill the seat vacated by Judge Barbara Crabb on the United States District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin by President Barack Obama on October 29, 2009. The American Bar Association rated Conley Unanimously Well Qualified (with one abstention). Hearings on Conley's nomination were held before the Senate Judiciary Committee on November 18, 2009, and his nomination was reported by U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) on December 10, 2009. Conley was confirmed on a recorded 99-0 vote of the U.S. Senate on March 4, 2010, and he received his commission on March 25, 2010. From 2010 to 2017, he served as the chief judge of the district court.[1][2][3]
Noteworthy cases
On April 2, 2020, Conley issued a ruling that rejected petitions to delay Wisconsin's 2020 statewide primary elections due to the coronavirus pandemic. He said that the court lacked the authority to postpone the primary, which at the time of the ruling was slated to occur as scheduled on April 7.[4] Conley did, however, extend the filing deadline for absentee ballots to April 13 and moved the deadline to request an absentee ballot from April 2 to April 3.[5] He also removed the requirement for a witness signature on absentee ballots. In the ruling, Conley stated, "A consequence of these measures may be to further the public health crisis in the state. Unfortunately, that is beyond the power of this court to control."[4]
Broadcasting rights for WIAA sports (2011)
Judge Conley ruled on June 3, 2010, that the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association (WIAA) could require newspapers and other media outlets to pay broadcasting rights fees to present high school sporting events. The lawsuit came after the WIAA demanded that Gannett-Wisconsin newspapers not stream broadcasts of state football playoff games on the Internet in 2008. Judge Conley ruled that high school sporting events were not public forums and struck down arguments from Gannett that the WIAA violated the First Amendment on the basis of free press. Attorneys for Gannett appealed to the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals where Judge Conley's ruling was affirmed.[6][7]
Public funding and judicial elections in Wisconsin (2011)
In March 2011, Judge Conley upheld the legality of the Wisconsin law for public funding of state supreme court elections. In a ruling that combined two cases, he found that the state had a compelling interest in avoiding the impropriety of privately funded elections.[8]
See also
- United States District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin
- United States Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Federal Judicial Center, "Biography of Judge William Martin Conley," accessed June 2, 2017
- ↑ United States Congress, "PN 1128 — William M. Conley — The Judiciary," accessed June 2, 2017
- ↑ American Bar Association, "Ratings of Article III judicial nominees, 111th Congress," accessed June 2, 2017
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 NBC News, "Judge won't delay next week's Wisconsin primary over coronavirus concerns," April 2, 2020
- ↑ Wisconsin State Journal, "'Ill-advised' election to go on amid COVID-19 pandemic, judge says, but some absentee ballot rules rolled back," April 3, 2020
- ↑ Wisconsin State Journal, "Judge rules in favor of WIAA in webcasting of sports events," June 4, 2010
- ↑ Leagle, "Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association v. Gannett Co., Inc.," August 24, 2011
- ↑ Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Federal judge dismisses free speech challenges to campaign funding," March 31, 2011
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by - |
United States District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin 2010-Present |
Succeeded by - |
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|---|---|---|---|
| Nominated | |||
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
