Ousted Wisconsin Judge Withdraws Appeal

CHICAGO (CN) - Now that a federal judge ruled against Wisconsin's longtime state Supreme Court justice, that judge has moved to withdaw her Seventh Circuit appeal.

Justice Shirley Abrahamson had sued her fellow justices and state officials in April after the state narrowly passed a ballot measure removing seniority as the qualification for chief justiceship.

In apparent accordance with the new ballot measure, five of the justices later elected Justice Patience Drake Roggensack via email action as chief.

U.S. District Judge James Peterson upheld that ruling on July 31, and Abrahamson moved Tuesday to withdraw her appeal.

Peterson had previously declined to issue a temporary injunction barring the court from selecting a new justice until 2019, when Abrahamson's term as justice expired. Abrahamson's attorney, Robert Peck with the Center for Constitutional Litigation in Washington, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. He has told local news outlets that they are considering appealing Peterson's decision.

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