Source: WisPolitics.com | CC BY-SA 2.0
Former State Supreme Court Justice David Prosser Dies
Prosser Had Served As Assembly Speaker, Minority Leader
Dec 2, 2024, 3:03 AM CT
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Former Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice David Prosser died this weekend. He was 81 years old.
Brian Schimming, chair of the Wisconsin Republican Party, announced Prosser’s death in a social media posting Monday morning. He said Prosser passed early Sunday evening after a “several month battle with cancer.”
“I was able to say my goodbyes to him yesterday afternoon in Appleton. As Dave’s chief of staff when he was Assembly speaker, I know the utmost respect for his public service and his friendship that so many of us have who worked with him over the years. Arrangements are pending,” Schimming wrote.
State Supreme Court Chief Justice Annette Kingsland Ziegler issued a statement Monday morning praising Prosser.
“Justice Prosser was the quintessential public servant who enjoyed a respected career (spanning more than 40 years) in the service of others,” she said in the statement. “On the bench, Justice Prosser brought a keen intellect and deep sense of fairness to every case, leaving an indelible mark on Wisconsin jurisprudence.”
Former Gov. Scott Walker praised Prosser for his public service.
“David Prosser was a giant in Wisconsin politics. I served with him when he was Speaker of the State Assembly. He was a strong leader. I appreciated his nearly two decades on the Wisconsin Supreme Court where he was focused on upholding the state Constitution. We lost a true public servant,” Walker wrote on X/Twitter.
WisPolitics first published the story early Monday morning.
Prosser was appointed to the Supreme Court by Gov. Tommy G. Thompson in 1998 and was elected to a 10-year term in 2001 and 2011. He stepped down from the court in 2016.
Before serving on the court, Prosser had an 18-year career in the state Legislature, representing the Appleton area in the Assembly from 1979 to 1996. He served as Assembly minority leader for six years and was speaker from 1995 to 1996. Prior to winning his seat in the Assembly, Prosser was the Outagamie County district attorney.
Prosser was born in Chicago, but was raised in Appleton, Wisconsin. He earned a bachelor’s degree at DePauw University in 1965 and his law degree from the University of Wisconsin Law School in 1968.
Stay tuned to Civic Media for continuing coverage.
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