William S. Pocan Jr. (born 1961) is an American lawyer and jurist serving as deputy chief judge of the 1st district of Wisconsin circuit courts. He has served as a Wisconsin circuit court judge in Milwaukee County since 2006. In 2021, he was nominated by U.S. President Joe Biden to serve as a United States district judge for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, but his nomination expired without a hearing at the end of the 117th Congress.
William Pocan | |
|---|---|
| Judge of the Milwaukee County Circuit Court | |
| Assumed office July 14, 2006 | |
| Appointed by | Jim Doyle |
| Preceded by | Michael P. Sullivan |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1961 (age 62–63) Kenosha, Wisconsin, U.S. |
| Spouse | Gerald Waupoose |
| Relations | Mark Pocan (brother) |
| Education | University of Wisconsin–Parkside (BA) University of Wisconsin–Madison (JD) |
Early life and education
editWilliam Pocan was born and raised in Kenosha, Wisconsin. He attended Mary D. Bradford High School[1] and graduated early, entering college at age 16.[2] He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Wisconsin–Parkside in 1981 and a Juris Doctor from the University of Wisconsin Law School in 1984.[3]
Career
editPocan began his legal career at Brookhouse & Brookhouse in Kenosha, Wisconsin, where he worked from 1984 to 1985. From 1985 to 2006, he was an associate at Jastroch & LaBarge.[4] In 2006, Pocan was appointed a Wisconsin circuit court judge in Milwaukee County by Governor Jim Doyle.[5][6][7] Pocan was subsequently elected to a full six-year term on the court in 2007, and was then re-elected twice without opposition. He was appointed deputy chief judge of the first district of Wisconsin circuit courts (Milwaukee County) in 2020.[7] At various times, Pocan presided over juvenile, civil, and felony division cases.[8]
Nominations to district court
editIn 2014, Pocan was one of three finalists recommended to President Barack Obama by the bipartisan Wisconsin Federal Nominating Commission to fill a vacancy on the federal district court bench, but Pamela Pepper received the nomination instead.[8]
On December 15, 2021, President Joe Biden nominated Pocan to serve as a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin.[9] Pocan was one of four finalists recommended to the president earlier in 2021 by the Wisconsin Federal Nominating Commission.[7] Biden nominated Pocan to the seat vacated by Judge William C. Griesbach, who took senior status on December 31, 2019.[9]
On February 15, 2022, U.S. Senator Ron Johnson announced he would withhold his blue slip, effectively blocking Pocan from receiving a hearing in the Senate Judiciary Committee, despite having previously recommended Pocan in a letter to the White House on June 22, 2021.[10][11] On January 3, 2023, his nomination was returned to the President under Rule XXXI, Paragraph 6 of the United States Senate.[12]
Personal life
editPocan's father, William S. Pocan Sr., was an alderman on the Kenosha city council during the 1970s and 1980s.[13]
Pocan's younger brother, Mark Pocan, is a member of the United States House of Representatives for Wisconsin's 2nd congressional district.[14] Both Pocan brothers are gay.[15][16]
Electoral history
editWisconsin circuit court (2007, 2013, 2019)
edit| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Election, April 3, 2007 | |||||
| Nonpartisan | Bill Pocan | 40,917 | 50.21% | ||
| Nonpartisan | Chris Liegel | 40,097 | 49.20% | ||
| Scattering | 483 | 0.59% | |||
| Plurality | 820 | 1.01% | |||
| Total votes | 81,497 | 100.0% | -11.97% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Election, April 2, 2013 | |||||
| Nonpartisan | William S. Pocan (incumbent) | 60,343 | 98.40% | ||
| Scattering | 983 | 1.60% | |||
| Total votes | 61,326 | 100.0% | -24.75% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Election, April 2, 2019 | |||||
| Nonpartisan | William Pocan (incumbent) | 87,258 | 98.61% | ||
| Scattering | 1,229 | 1.39% | |||
| Total votes | 88,487 | 100.0% | +44.29% | ||
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Kenosha high schools' grads". Kenosha News. June 8, 1978. p. 10. Retrieved January 15, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Pocan wins Milwaukee race" (PDF). The Third Branch. 15 (2). Wisconsin Court System: 27. Spring 2007. Retrieved January 15, 2023.
- ^ "President Biden Names Eleventh Round of Judicial Nominees". The White House. 2021-12-15. Retrieved 2021-12-15.
- ^ Voruganti, Harsh (13 January 2022). "Judge William Pocan – Nominee to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin". The Vetting Room. Retrieved 14 February 2022.
- ^ "Governor picks new judge". Kenosha News. July 1, 2006. p. 20. Retrieved January 15, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "William Pocan". Ballotpedia. Retrieved 2021-12-15.
- ^ a b c Jeramey Jannene, Biden Appoints Milwaukee Judge William Pocan to Federal Bench, Urban Milwaukee (December 17, 2021).
- ^ a b Worland, Gayle (February 15, 2014). "Three nominees for Eastern District Court judgeship named". Wisconsin State Journal. Retrieved January 15, 2023.
- ^ a b "Nominations Sent to the Senate" (Press release). Washington, D.C.: The White House. December 15, 2021. Retrieved December 15, 2021.
- ^ Glauber, Bill (February 16, 2022). "Ron Johnson moves to block William Pocan nomination to federal court". news.yahoo.com. Retrieved February 16, 2022.
- ^ Alder, Madison (February 16, 2022). "GOP Senator Opposes District Pick, Setting Up Test of Norm (2)". news.bloomberglaw.com. Retrieved February 16, 2022.
- ^ "PN1483 — William S. Pocan — The Judiciary". January 3, 2023. Retrieved January 24, 2023.
- ^ Pocan, William S. Jr. (April 12, 1980). "Nothing could be further from the truth". Kenosha News. p. 5. Retrieved January 15, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Gilbert, Craig. "Baldwin and Johnson bring forward four candidates to fill federal judgeship in Green Bay". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved 2021-12-15.
- ^ "Congressional Wisdom: An interview with Wisconsin Representative Mark Pocan". Metro Weekly. 2017-04-06. Retrieved 2021-12-15.
- ^ Jannene, Jeramey. "Biden Appoints Milwaukee Judge William Pocan to Federal Bench". Urban Milwaukee. Retrieved 2022-02-18.
- ^ Results of Spring General Election - 04/03/2007 (Report). Wisconsin State Elections Board. April 23, 2007. p. 8. Retrieved January 15, 2023 – via Wisconsin Historical Society.
- ^ Canvass Results for 2013 Spring Election - 4/2/2013 (Report). Wisconsin Government Accountability Board. May 8, 2013. p. 5. Retrieved January 15, 2023 – via Wisconsin Elections Commission.
- ^ Canvass Results for 2019 Spring Election - 4/2/2019 (Report). Wisconsin Elections Commission. April 22, 2019. p. 4. Retrieved January 15, 2023.