May 16, 2014 at 4:49 p.m.
Mangerson to retire from Court of Appeals
Mangerson to retire from Court of Appeals
Mangerson's retirement was disclosed Tuesday when the governor's office issued a press release seeking candidates to fill his seat.
A Rhinelander native, Mangerson worked in the Vilas County district attorney's office and corporation counsel's office in the mid 1970s. He later became DA in Oneida County, a job he held until 1983 when he entered private practice. Mangerson returned to public service in 1988, but this time in a black robe as an Oneida County circuit judge.
Governor Scott Walker appointed Mangerson in 2011 to the District 3 Court of Appeals, in Wausau. He ran to keep the seat in 2012 - winning a six-year term on the appeals court.
But in a letter sent Monday to Governor Scott Walker, Mangerson, 65, said he would be stepping down early, though he hinted he would like to continue working as a public official less than full time.
"It has been both a pleasure and honor to serve the people of the Great State of Wisconsin for over 30 years in various legal capacities," Mangerson wrote. "I hope to serve on a limited basis in the future."
Such service could include filling in as a reserve judge, he said Wednesday in an interview.
Since he started serving on the Court of Appeals, Mangerson has been commuting to Wausau two days per week while working the remainder of the time from his home just outside of Rhinelander. He said the job entails a lot of reading - mostly briefs that parties file in cases - and writing court opinions.
Each Tuesday, he said, he meets with other judges on the court in Wausau to discuss cases and decide how to rule.
Mangerson said he was looking forward to winding down his legal career and spending more time with loved ones.
"My wife has been retired for about three years, and we have eight grandchildren in five different states, and it just seems like time," he said.
Also in the interview, Mangerson reflected on his time as a prosecutor and circuit judge. He said he wanted to thank citizens of Oneida County for helping him.
"The people of Oneida County and the larger judicial district really gave me a lot of good support," Mangerson said. "When I was on the trial bench, I had some incredibly difficult decisions, and I got support on the street, support in grocery stores, support in writing, and it was really, really much appreciated."
The Northwoods legal community responded to news of Mangerson's retirement with praise.
Michael Bloom, an Oneida County circuit judge, followed a similar path as Mangerson - from district attorney to judge. Bloom said he has looked to Mangerson as an example of how to conduct court.
"I appeared regularly before Judge Mangerson over the better part of two decades before becoming a judge myself. He was an excellent judge," Bloom wrote in a statement to the newspaper. "Judge Mangerson always balanced the best qualities a judge can have. He possessed a high intellect, but could speak plainly. He was detached, but accessible. He knew the law, but applied common sense. Since taking the bench myself, I have looked to Judge Mangerson as a model for how I conduct myself as a judge. I wish him the very best in his well-deserved retirement."
Oneida County Circuit Judge Patrick O'Melia, also a former prosecutor, similarly recognized Mangerson.
"He did a nice job. He reversed me a few times, but that happens," O'Melia said with laughter.
Brenda Behrle, Oneida County's clerk of court, worked with Mangerson for 13 years as his judicial assistant. She said he was very fair and a keen listener. But what sticks out most in her memory, Behrle said, is how Mangerson presided over adoptions - those rare bright and joyful moments in court.
"What I just thought was the greatest thing was he was always so wonderful when it came to adoptions," Behrle said. "You can tell he's got a passion for kids. He made them feel important."
Minocqua attorney Greg Harrold, who appeared many times before Mangerson, said his retirement "will be a loss to our court system."
"Judge Mangerson was very widely respected," Harrold said. "I think with Judge Mangerson you always knew you were going to get a fair trial. He was a very, very knowledgeable judge."
Walker's office is accepting applications for Mangerson's successor. Application materials, which are available online at www.walker.wi.gov, must be received by the governor's office no later than 5 p.m., Tuesday, June 3.
The new appointee, should he or she choose to run, would be up for election in April 2016, according to the governor's office.
Jonathan Anderson may be reached at [email protected]
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