TINA L. SCOTT
EDITOR
Two candidates are vying for the one available spot on the Wisconsin Court of Appeals for District III.
The Wisconsin Court of Appeals is the state’s intermediate appellate court. Founded in 1978, the court is comprised of 16 judges from four districts that cover the state. The primary function of the Court of Appeals is to correct errors from Circuit Court cases. District III covers 35 counties across northern Wisconsin, including Lincoln and Marathon Counties, and the District III office is in Wausau. Judges are elected to six-year terms in non-partisan Spring elections.
In the Apr. 6, 2021, Spring General Election, two candidates will face off for the District III judgeship. The winner of the race will fill the vacancy left by Judge Mark Seidl when his term expires July 31, 2021. The victor will join the two other judges currently on the bench for District III – the Honorable Lisa K. Stark and the Honorable Thomas M. Hruz.
The two candidates facing off in this election are Gregory B. Gill, Jr., and Rick Cveykus.
Gregory B. Gill, Jr.
Age: 46
Family: “I will have been married to my wonderful wife, Jill, for 15 years as of Mar. 25, 2021. I am the father to two daughters, Maddie (20) and Emma (12), as well as a son, Peyton (10).”
Employment/position: Outagamie County Circuit Court Judge Branch IV
Past or present elected offices held, dates served:
• I was appointed to Outagamie County Circuit Court Branch IV by Governor Walker in 2011. I was elected twice thereafter, in 2012 and in 2018.
Membership in religious, service, fraternal, etc., clubs or organizations, and offices held, dates served:
• Big Ten Track & Field Champion (Decathlon): 1997, 1998
• Division I All-American Track & Field (Decathlon): 1998
• Varsity Track & Field Team, University of Wisconsin: 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998 (Captain 1997, 1998)
• Board of Directors Fox Valley Boys and Girls Club: 2010 – 2015
• Board of Directors NAMI Fox Valley: 2013-2019
• Board of Directors COTS: 2016- Present
• Board of Directors Valley Kids Foundation: 2015- Present
• Board of Directors Wisconsin Trial Judges Association 2014 – Present
• Volunteer with Make a Wish Foundation: 2009 – 2015
• Volunteer with Valley Kids Foundation: 2003 – Present
• President Wisconsin Trial Judges Association: 2018 – Present
• Recognized by Wisconsin Super Lawyers Magazine as a Rising Star: 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011
• Recognized by Outagamie County Pre-Action Network – Exemplary Service Award 2014
Why have you chosen to run for the office you seek: “For the past nine years, I have had the honor of serving the citizens of Outagamie County as a Circuit Court Judge. In that capacity, I have handled a variety of legal cases including Civil, Criminal, and Family cases. Moreover, I have been a part of Outagamie County’s Treatment Courts and the State’s Commercial Docket pilot program, having been appointed by Chief Justice Patience Roggensack. I consider myself blessed to do this work and to be able to positively affect those that live in my community.”
“This summer, I was approached by District III Court of Appeals Judges Lisa Stark and Thomas Hruz about an opening that would be occurring in the district. Through my discussions with them, it became apparent that as a Judge on the Court of Appeals, I would not only be able to affect individual lives, but I would also be able to affect groups of people by helping establish precedent and setting forth clear directions on the application of the law. The ability to expand my service area, and to bring my breadth of experience to the Court of Appeals were important to me and significant factors in my decision to pursue this position.”
“To that same end, I felt compelled to bring my textualist approach to the Court of Appeals. Textualism is a conservative judicial philosophy that espouses that a Judge’s job is to apply the law as written. Moreover, if there are questions about the meaning of a word, one should look ‘backwards’ at the intent of the drafters at the time the law in question was enacted. This is the only way to ensure certainty. Equally important, this philosophy recognizes that changes to the law should come through the legislative process, not the judiciary. There are three distinct branches of government, and that separation should be respected.”
“Finally, I pursued this endeavor to continue the high standards that have been set in District III by not only by the current judges in the district, but also those that have preceded them. Those standards include showing respect for others, providing clear and concise decisions, and ensuring equal access to the court. The court system should be a place where all people have the opportunity to be heard. While not everyone can get the desired outcome, due to the adversarial nature of the legal system, all can and should be treated with respect, dignity, and honor, regardless of race, religion, political affiliation or any other category.”
“It is for these reasons I pursued, and am humbled, to be a candidate for the Court of Appeals in District III.”
-vs-
Rick Cveykus
Age: 37
Family: Wife, Rebekah Cveykus, and 12-week-old son, James Edward Cveykus
Employment/position: Cveykus Law Office – Managing Partner; UW-Madison Lecturer in Constitutional Law Topics
Past or present elected offices held, dates served:
• Marathon County Bar Vice President
• Marathon County Bar President
• UW Alumni – Wausau – President
Membership in religious, service, fraternal, etc., clubs or organizations, and offices held, dates served:
• St Agnes Catholic Church – Was baptized as a child, confirmed, and married at St. Agnes
• Elks Club – since 2011
• DCE Mock Trial Coach – 2008-2018
• Wausau West Mock Trial Coach 2018-Current
• UW Madison Mock Trial Coach 2015-Current
• UW Madison Moot Court Asst. – 2017-Current
• Volunteer at Wills for Veterans – 2015-Current
• Volunteer at Wills for Heroes – 2018-Current
Why have you chosen to run for the office you seek: “We are not doing well enough to address the enormous backlog of cases that is piling up and delaying justice for all parties. I am running because I hope the people of Wisconsin want less politics in their courts, not more. I am running because I know we can be better than we currently are. My father was a factory worker, and my mother comes from a farming family. While they did not have the money to go to college, they used their life experience to teach me something just as valuable – a real work ethic. When people are counting on you, there is no rule that the work must stop at 4:30 p.m. Especially when we are talking about someone’s freedom or someone’s livelihood, it may be time to take cases home, address the backlog that has developed, and give litigants justice at an appropriate time and place. When we are presented a case from yourselves, your family, or friends, you will have a Judge that will put in the time and effort to meet you where you are. I will make the effort to understand what it is like to walk a mile in your shoes.”