Liberal Wis. Justices: Gableman Assault Never Happened

Wisconsin Supreme Court Justices Michael Gableman and Ann Walsh Bradley
Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter

The members of the Wisconsin Supreme Court’s liberal minority have been firing back at conservative Justice Michael Gableman, regarding his allegation that liberal Justice Ann Walsh Bradley — who recently accused conservative Justice David Prosser of grabbing her neck in an altercation — had hit him in the head either two or three years ago.

On Thursday, news emerged that the original date Gableman had given, September 18, 2008, came at the early part of a two-week period when the court did not meet at all. Gableman then released a statement saying that he had remembered the date of September 18, — his birthday — but the year had been 2009, not 2008: “In any event, the incident happened exactly as I related it to the officers and as it was set forth in the report. While Justice Bradley might not be able to recall it, I certainly do.”

On Friday, the two other liberal justices chimed in to further deny Gableman’s newer story. Justice Patrick Crooks, along with Chief Justice Shirley Abrahamson, released this statement:

I am emailing the following statement on behalf of myself and the Chief Justice.

As stated previously, no incident as described by Justice Gableman, and no similar incident, ever occurred in our presence.

Thank you.

Justice Patrick Crooks
Wisconsin Supreme Court

On Thursday evening, Bradley also released a statement, which said in part: “Whether it is Justice Gableman’s original version or his new version, his described event simply did not happen. I did not strike him on the head in 2008, 2009, or ever.”

Gableman made the allegation during the investigation of a physical altercation in June, in which Bradley accused Justice David Prosser, the leader of the court’s conservatives, of grabbing her neck in a “chokehold.” Prosser replied to investigators that Bradley charged at him, and he reflexively put up his hands to block her, accidentally making contact with her neck. Ultimately, no charges were filed.

Latest Muckraker
Comments
Masthead Masthead
Founder & Editor-in-Chief:
Executive Editor:
Managing Editor:
Associate Editor:
Editor at Large:
General Counsel:
Publisher:
Head of Product:
Director of Technology:
Associate Publisher:
Front End Developer:
Senior Designer: