Wisconsin
Lawyer
Vol. 81, No. 5, May
2008
Supreme Court Orders
The Wisconsin Supreme Court amended SCR 13.045(1) to require judicial
members to pay the annual WisTAF assessment, amended SCR 70.14(2) to
formalize
the PPAC vice chair position, and amended Wis. Stat. section (Rule)
809.18 governing voluntary dismissals of cases on appeal.
WisTAF Assessment
In the matter of the Amendment of SCR 13.015 and SCR 13.045 Governing
the Assessment on Attorneys for WisTAF
Order 07-06
On May 8, 2007, the State Bar of Wisconsin filed an administrative
rule petition
asking this court to revise Supreme Court Rules 13.015 and 13.045
governing the assessment
on attorneys for Wisconsin Trust Account Foundation (WisTAF). A public
hearing was held
on Wednesday, Nov. 7, 2007. The court discussed this matter at its open
administrative conferences on Nov. 7, 2007, and on Feb. 22, 2008,
and resolved as follows:
IT IS ORDERED that, effective the date of this order, the first
two sentences
of Supreme Court Rule 13.045 (1) are amended to read as follows:
13.045 (1) Annual assessments. Commencing with the State
Bar's July 1,
2005
2008 fiscal year, every attorney who is an active member
or judicial member of the state
bar, and all Supreme Court
Justices,
shall pay to the fund an annual assessment, to
be determined by the supreme court. The assessment shall be $50.00.
Emeritus
members, judicial members,
and inactive members of the state bar are excused from the
annual assessment.
IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that the proposed amendment to SCR 13.015
as set forth in
the petition is denied.
IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that notice of this amendment of SCR
13.045 (1) be given by
a single publication of a copy of this order in the official state
newspaper and in
an official publication of the State Bar of Wisconsin.
Dated at Madison, Wis., this 25th day of March, 2008.
By the court:
David R. Schanker,
Clerk of Supreme Court
Top of Page
PPAC Vice Chair Position
In the matter of the Amendment to SCR 70.14(2) formalizing
vice-chairperson position on the Planning and Policy Advisory Committee
(PPAC)
Order 07-14
On Oct. 31, 2007, A. John Voelker, Director of State Courts,
petitioned the court
on behalf of the Planning and Policy Advisory Committee (PPAC) for an
amendment to
SCR 70.14(2) to formalize the position of PPAC vice-chairperson in SCR
70.14, which
outlines the membership and role of PPAC. A public hearing was held on
Friday, March 14,
2008. Mr. Voelker presented the petition, and there were no other
appearances. The
court received no comments opposing the petition.
At the ensuing open administrative conference, the court voted
unanimously to
adopt the petition. Accordingly, effective the date of this order, SCR
70.14 (2) of
the Supreme Court Rules is amended to read:
SCR 70.14 (2). The chief justice,
or his or her designee, or such other member as
the chief justice shall appoint
will act as chairperson of the planning and policy
advisory committee. The chairperson shall appoint an existing
judicial member of the planning
and policy advisory committee to serve as vice-chairperson. The
vice-chairperson will act
in a leadership capacity in the absence of the chairperson and will
serve in this
capacity at the discretion of the chairperson.
IT IS ORDERED that notice of this amendment of SCR 70.14(2) be
given by a
single publication of a copy of this order in the official state
newspaper and in an
official publication of the State Bar of Wisconsin.
Dated at Madison, Wis., this 2nd day of April, 2008.
By the court:
David R. Schanker,
Clerk of Supreme Court
Top of Page
Voluntary Dismissal of Cases on Appeal
In the matter of the Proposed Amendment to Wis. Stat. § (Rule)
809.18
(Voluntary Dismissal)
Order 07-15
On Nov. 27, 2007, the Wisconsin Court of Appeals petitioned the court
to amend
Wis. Stat. § (Rule) 809.18 governing voluntary dismissals of
cases on appeal to create
a subsection which requires the parties to immediately notify the court
that the
matter has been compromised or settled. A public hearing was held on
Friday, March 14,
2008. Margaret A. Carlson, Chief Staff Attorney for the Wisconsin Court
of Appeals,
presented the petition. The Honorable Charles R. Dykman, Judge, District
IV Court of Appeals,
also appeared. There were no other appearances. The court received no
comments opposing
the petition.
At the ensuing open administrative conference, the court voted
to adopt the
petition, with modifications. Accordingly, effective July 1, 2008, Wis.
Stat. § (Rule) 809.18
is amended as follows:
Section 1. Section 809.18 of the statutes is renumbered
809.18 (1).
Section 2. Section 809.18 (2) of the statutes is created
to read:
809.18 (2) If the parties compromise or otherwise settle
the entire matter
in litigation prior to the issuance of the decision of the court of
appeals, the
appellant shall immediately inform the court in writing, signed by all
parties, that the
matter has been compromised or settled. Upon receipt of such
information, the court
shall dismiss the appeal in accordance with sub. (1).
IT IS ORDERED that notice of this amendment of Wis. Stat.
§ (Rule) 809.18 be given
by a single publication of a copy of this order in the official state
newspaper and in
an official publication of the State Bar of Wisconsin.
Dated at Madison, Wis., this 2nd day of April, 2008.
By the court:
David R. Schanker,
Clerk of Supreme Court
Top of Page
Wisconsin Lawyer
