William Pocan

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
Incumbent
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

William 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

Pocan 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

In 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

Pocan'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

Wisconsin circuit court (2007, 2013, 2019)

Wisconsin Circuit Courts, Milwaukee Circuit, Branch 26 Election, 2007^[17]

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%

Wisconsin Circuit Courts, Milwaukee Circuit, Branch 26 Election, 2013^[18]

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%

Wisconsin Circuit Courts, Milwaukee Circuit, Branch 26 Election, 2019^[19]

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

• Joe Biden judicial appointment controversies
• List of LGBT jurists in the United States

References

1. "Kenosha high schools' grads". Kenosha News. June 8, 1978. p. 10. Retrieved January 15, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
2. "Pocan wins Milwaukee race" (PDF). The Third Branch. 15 (2). Wisconsin Court System: 27. Spring 2007. Retrieved January 15, 2023.
3. "President Biden Names Eleventh Round of Judicial Nominees". The White House. 2021-12-15. Retrieved 2021-12-15.
4. 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.
5. "Governor picks new judge". Kenosha News. July 1, 2006. p. 20. Retrieved January 15, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
6. "William Pocan". Ballotpedia. Retrieved 2021-12-15.
7. Jeramey Jannene, Biden Appoints Milwaukee Judge William Pocan to Federal Bench, Urban Milwaukee (December 17, 2021).
8. Worland, Gayle (February 15, 2014). "Three nominees for Eastern District Court judgeship named". Wisconsin State Journal. Retrieved January 15, 2023.
9. "Nominations Sent to the Senate" (Press release). Washington, D.C.: The White House. December 15, 2021. Retrieved December 15, 2021.
10. Glauber, Bill (February 16, 2022). "Ron Johnson moves to block William Pocan nomination to federal court". news.yahoo.com. Retrieved February 16, 2022.
11. Alder, Madison (February 16, 2022). "GOP Senator Opposes District Pick, Setting Up Test of Norm (2)". news.bloomberglaw.com. Retrieved February 16, 2022.
12. "PN1483 — William S. Pocan — The Judiciary". January 3, 2023. Retrieved January 24, 2023.
13. 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.
14. Gilbert, Craig. "Baldwin and Johnson bring forward four candidates to fill federal judgeship in Green Bay". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved 2021-12-15.
15. "Congressional Wisdom: An interview with Wisconsin Representative Mark Pocan". Metro Weekly. 2017-04-06. Retrieved 2021-12-15.
16. Jannene, Jeramey. "Biden Appoints Milwaukee Judge William Pocan to Federal Bench". Urban Milwaukee. Retrieved 2022-02-18.
17. 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.
18. 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.
19. Canvass Results for 2019 Spring Election - 4/2/2019 (Report). Wisconsin Elections Commission. April 22, 2019. p. 4. Retrieved January 15, 2023.

Legal offices
Preceded by Michael P. Sullivan	Wisconsin Circuit Court Judge for the Milwaukee Circuit, Branch 26 July 14, 2006 – present	Incumbent