By the Numbers
300 Billion
The estimated number of pennies in circulation, as the U.S. Mint ended penny production last month.
According to the Associated Press, the last U.S. coin to be discontinued was the half-cent, in 1857.
The Secretary of the Treasury said the decision to end penny production was influenced by the cost to produce them, which had increased to 3.69 cents per penny.
Legal authority to end penny production? “Under 31 U.S.C. § 5111(a) and § 5112, the Secretary of the Treasury has the authority to mint and issue one-cent coins in amounts deemed necessary to meet the needs of the United States,” according to the U.S. Mint’s Penny FAQ page.
Good Idea?
Uncertain Future for Hemp-Based Products
The federal spending bill that ended a 43-day government shutdown last month includes a provision that bans the “unregulated sale of intoxicating hemp-based or hemp-derived products, including delta-8, from being sold online, in gas stations, and corner stores, while preserving non-intoxicating CBD and industrial hemp products,” according to a summary from the Senate Appropriations Committee.
“The hemp provision ends a loophole provided by the 2018 Farm Bill that essentially decriminalized intoxicating hemp-based products,” wrote Manisha Krishnan for Wired.
“Those products include cannabinoids like delta-8 and THCA, which are found in a variety of edibles and drinks.”
According to the article, many states do not regulate delta-8 products. Wisconsin is one of them, but there’s pending legislation, also introduced last month, that would regulate intoxicating hemp products by limiting concentration levels and restricting access to individuals age 21 and older.
Did You Know?
Rebecca Taibleson Confirmed to the U.S. Court of Appeals, Brad Schimel Appointed as Interim U.S. Attorney
The U.S. Senate recently confirmed President Donald Trump’s nomination of Rebecca L. Taibleson to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit.
Taibleson, a Yale Law graduate, most recently served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin. Her confirmation fills the seat of Judge Diane S. Sykes, who began senior status on Oct. 1. The Senate voted 52-46 to confirm the nomination.
Brad Schimel, Waukesha County Circuit Court judge and former Wisconsin Attorney General, was appointed by U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi last month as Interim U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin.
Schimel, U.W. 1990, will lead an office of approximately 82 prosecutors, civil litigators, and other personnel, according to a press release.
Got a Nugget to Share?
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Quotable
“If any lawyer, client, or person seeking legal assistance believes that LLMs, even the paid versions, will replace competent attorneys, see this very recent case and think again.”
– Atty. Max Elliott, on LinkedIn
Elliott was talking about a case in the U.S. District Court of the Eastern District of Oklahoma in which plaintiff’s counsel submitted pleadings containing fabricated and erroneous case citations, quotations of nonexistent law, and misstatements of law. The judge ruled that the attorney’s use of generative artificial intelligence in the preparation of the pleadings violated Fed. R. Civ. P. 11(b) and the court’s AI Guidelines on Generative AI Disclosure and Certification.
“The integrity of judicial proceedings depends on the authenticity of what is filed,” the judge wrote in Mattox v. Product Innovations Research LLC.
“This case demonstrates the cost of neglecting that obligation.”
The judge sanctioned the attorney with a $1,000 fine, less than originally considered, because the attorney pledged immediate reforms at his law firm.
Spotlight
Justice on Wheels and Mock Trial
On Oct. 27, 2025, the Wisconsin Supreme Court traveled to Richland County Courthouse in Richland Center for the “Justice on Wheels” Program, holding oral arguments in two cases.
The program, in existence since 1993, takes the court on the road and gives people outside Madison a chance to see it in action during oral arguments. Nearly 100 elementary, middle, and high school students attended.
Speaking of high school students, it’s not too late to volunteer for the State Bar of Wisconsin’s 2026 High School Mock Trial Tournament.
The program is seeking volunteers – attorneys and judges – to serve as regional coordinators and judges for the regional competitions on Feb. 7 and the semifinal competition March 6-7. No prior experience is required – just a passion for law and a willingness to support students.
Click here for more information
» Cite this article: 98 Wis. Law. 7 (December 2025).
