Joe Donald

Martin Joseph Donald (born February 8, 1959) is an American lawyer and a judge of the Wisconsin Court of Appeals in the Milwaukee-based District I. Donald was appointed to the court in September 2019 by Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers. Prior to his appointment to the Court of Appeals, Donald served 13 years as a Wisconsin Circuit Court judge in Milwaukee County.

The Honorable
Joe Donald
Judge of the Wisconsin Court of Appeals District I
Assumed office
September 4, 2019
Appointed byTony Evers
Preceded byKitty Brennan
Wisconsin Circuit Court Judge for the Milwaukee Circuit, Branch 2
In office
1996 – September 4, 2019
Appointed byTommy Thompson
Preceded byGeorge A. Burns Jr.
Succeeded byMilton Childs
Personal details
Born
Martin Joseph Donald

(1959-02-08) February 8, 1959
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
SpouseAnn
Children3
Education
WebsiteJudge M. Joseph Donald

Life and career

Donald was raised in Milwaukee and Shorewood. His mother worked as a housekeeper for Richard D. Cudahy, a judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. Their families were close, and Judge Cudahy served as a mentor to Judge Donald in his youth.[1] Donald graduated from Marquette University in 1982 and Marquette University Law School in 1988. He subsequently served from 1988 to 1989 as a law clerk for the Wisconsin Circuit Court in Milwaukee County. From 1989 to 1996, Donald was an assistant city attorney in the Milwaukee City Attorney's Office.[2]

In 1996, Donald was appointed by Governor Tommy Thompson, a Republican, to a vacant seat on the Milwaukee County Circuit Court.[2] His oath was administered by his mentor, Judge Cudahy.[1] Donald was elected to a six-year term on the court in 1997 and reelected in 2003, 2009, and 2015, without opposition. Judge Donald was instrumental in establishing the Milwaukee County Drug Treatment Court in 2009 and served as its first judge. The Drug Treatment Court was designed to use a system of rewards and penalties to redirect more people from jail toward treatment and recovery.[1]

From 2015 to 2019, Donald served as a deputy chief judge of the court under chief judge Maxine Aldridge White.[3]

In 2016, Donald sought election to the Wisconsin Supreme Court but placed third in the February primary, behind incumbent Justice Rebecca Bradley and Wisconsin Court of Appeals Judge JoAnne Kloppenburg.[4] Judge Donald was endorsed in this race by former United States Senator Herb Kohl.[5]

On September 4, 2019, Donald was appointed by Democratic Governor Tony Evers to a vacant Court of Appeals judgeship in Milwaukee. Donald succeeded the retiring Judge Kitty K. Brennan.[2][3]

Electoral history

Wisconsin Circuit Court (1997, 2003, 2009, 2015)
Wisconsin Circuit Court, Milwaukee Circuit, Branch 2 Election, 1997[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
General Election, April 1, 1997
Nonpartisan M. Joseph Donald (incumbent) 68,708 100.0%
Total votes '68,708' '100.0%'
Wisconsin Circuit Court, Milwaukee Circuit, Branch 2 Election, 2003[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
General Election, April 1, 2003
Nonpartisan M. Joseph Donald (incumbent) 63,255 100.0%
Total votes '63,255' '100.0%'
Wisconsin Circuit Court, Milwaukee Circuit, Branch 2 Election, 2009[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
General Election, April 7, 2009
Nonpartisan M. Joseph Donald (incumbent) 50,774 100.0%
Total votes '50,774' '100.0%'
Wisconsin Circuit Court, Milwaukee Circuit, Branch 2 Election, 2015[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
General Election, April 7, 2015
Nonpartisan M. Joseph Donald (incumbent) 49,743 100.0%
Total votes '49,743' '100.0%'

Wisconsin Supreme Court (2016)
Wisconsin Supreme Court Election, 2016[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Primary Election, February 16, 2016
Nonpartisan Rebecca Bradley (incumbent) 251,823 44.61%
Nonpartisan JoAnne Kloppenburg 243,190 43.16%
Nonpartisan M. Joseph Donald 68,373 12.12%
Scattering 631 0.11%
Total votes '567,038' '100.0%'
General Election, April 5, 2016
Nonpartisan Rebecca Bradley (incumbent) 1,020,092 51.13%
Nonpartisan JoAnne Kloppenburg 928,377 47.53%
Scattering 4,678 0.24%
Total votes '1,953,147' '100.0%'

References
  1. Hazard, Jim (April 19, 2011). "The Rescue Squad". Milwaukee Magazine (published May 2011). Retrieved September 29, 2019.
  2. "Judge M. Joseph Donald". Wisconsin Court System. Retrieved March 30, 2020.
  3. Vielmetti, Bruce (September 4, 2019). "Evers names Milwaukee County Judge Joe Donald to Appeals Court in Milwaukee, lawyer Jeffrey Davis in Waukesha". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved March 30, 2020.
  4. "Elections Results". Wisconsin Blue Book 2017-2018 (Report). Madison, Wisconsin: State of Wisconsin. 2017. pp. 508, 511. Retrieved January 1, 2020.
  5. Judge Donald, Joe (February 10, 2016). "Judge Joe Donald: Reject partisanship by voting for me for the court". The Capital Times. Retrieved March 30, 2020.
  6. Barish, Lawrence S., ed. (1997). "Elections in Wisconsin". State of Wisconsin 1997-1998 Blue Book (Report). Madison, Wisconsin: State of Wisconsin. p. 875. Retrieved January 1, 2020.
  7. Barish, Lawrence S., ed. (2003). "Elections in Wisconsin". State of Wisconsin 2003-2004 Blue Book (Report). Madison, Wisconsin: State of Wisconsin. p. 896. Retrieved January 1, 2020.
  8. "Elections". Wisconsin Blue Book 2009-2010 (Report). Madison, Wisconsin: State of Wisconsin. 2009. p. 899. Retrieved January 1, 2020.
  9. "Elections". Wisconsin Blue Book 2015-2016 (Report). Madison, Wisconsin: State of Wisconsin. 2015. p. 884. Retrieved January 1, 2020.
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