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Michael J. Barron

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Michael J. Barron
Chief Judge of the 1st District of Wisconsin Circuit Courts
In office
August 1, 1986 – July 31, 1990
Preceded byVictor Manian
Succeeded byPatrick T. Sheedy
Wisconsin Circuit Judge for the Milwaukee Circuit, Branch 8
In office
August 1, 1978 – August 31, 1999
Preceded byTransitioned from 2nd circ.
Succeeded byWilliam Sosnay
Wisconsin Circuit Judge for the 2nd Circuit, Branch 8
In office
August 1, 1973 – July 31, 1978
Preceded byWilliam I. O'Neill
Succeeded byTransitioned to Milwaukee circ.
Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly
from the Milwaukee 18th district
In office
January 2, 1961 – January 4, 1965
Preceded byRobert M. Curley
Succeeded byLouis J. Ceci
Member of the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors from the 18th district
In office
April 1964 – July 31, 1973
Personal details
Born(1933-12-18)December 18, 1933
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S.
DiedFebruary 28, 2021(2021-02-28) (aged 87)
Shorewood, Wisconsin, U.S.
Resting placeHoly Cross Cemetery, Milwaukee
Political partyDemocratic
Spouse
Mary Lu Bruns
(m. 1962⁠–⁠2021)
Children2
EducationMilwaukee State College (B.S.)
Marquette University (J.D.)
ProfessionLawyer, judge

Michael Joseph Barron (December 18, 1933 – February 28, 2021) was an American lawyer, judge, and Democratic politician from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He served four years as chief judge of the 1st district of Wisconsin circuit courts, and served a total of 26 years as a circuit judge in Milwaukee County. Earlier in life, he also served two terms in the Wisconsin State Assembly (1961, 1963), representing part of northeast Milwaukee, and was a member of the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors from 1964 until 1973.[1]

Early life and education

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Michael J. Barron was born on December 18, 1933, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.[2] He was raised and educated in Milwaukee, graduating from St. John's Cathedral High School. He went on to attend Milwaukee State College (now University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee), where he was president of the student body. He received his bachelor's degree in 1956, and immediately continued his education at Marquette University Law School, where he earned his J.D. in 1959.[2][3]

Political and judicial careers

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After being admitted to the bar, he went to work as an attorney in partnership with Robert M. Curley and Patrick Sheedy. He also quickly became involved in politics, as Curley was then-serving as a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly.[1] In 1960, Curley was elected a Wisconsin circuit judge and Barron then stepped in to run for his former seat in the Assembly. He prevailed in the three-person Democratic Party primary, receiving 60% of the vote, and went on to win the general election with 61%.[4] He represented Milwaukee County's 18th district, which was defined by what was then the 18th ward of the city of Milwaukee.[5] He was re-elected in 1962.[6]

During both of his terms in the Assembly, he served on the Assembly Judiciary Committee and the Legislative Council Judiciary Committee. During his second term, he also served on the Assembly Transportation Committee.[7]

Rather than running for another term in 1964, Barron was elected to the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors in the 1964 Spring election.[8] He was re-elected several times, and served on the board until his election as a Wisconsin circuit court judge in 1973. In that election, he defeated attorney Clarence Parrish with 60% of the vote.[9] As circuit judge, he never faced another contested election and was re-elected without opposition in 1979, 1986, 1992, and 1998. He was chosen by the Wisconsin Supreme Court as chief judge of the 1st district of Wisconsin Circuit Courts in 1986, and was re-appointed in 1988. The Supreme Court chose not to re-appoint him in 1990, hoping a different chief judge would do a better job raising funds for court operations.[10] He was ultimately replaced as chief judge by his former law partner, Patrick Sheedy.[11]

Barron served another decade as a circuit judge and retired in 1999.[12] He continued to serve for most of the rest of his life as a reserve judge; he was chairman of the Wisconsin Reserve Judges' Association for over ten years and handled more than 500 arbitrations and mediations during those years.[1]

Personal life and family

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Michael J. Barron married Mary Lu Bruns of Sheboygan, Wisconsin, in July 1962.[13] They had two daughters together and were married for 58 years before his death on February 28, 2021.[10] He was interred at Milwaukee's Holy Cross Cemetery.[1]

Barron was extremely active in the Milwaukee community; he was a member of the Marquette Law School Board of Trustees, president of the Milwaukee Convention & Visitors Bureau, and president of the UWM Alumni Association.[1]

In addition to his service in public and civic offices, Barron was a devout Catholic, and was a member of the Society of the Holy Name and the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks.[1][2]

Electoral history

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Wisconsin Assembly (1960, 1962)

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Wisconsin Assembly, Milwaukee 18th District Election, 1960[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Primary, September 13, 1960
Democratic Michael J. Barron 2,636 59.96%
Democratic Robert J. Brady 1,348 30.66%
Democratic Joseph F. Lindner 412 9.37%
Plurality 1,288 29.30%
Total votes 4,396 100.0%
General Election, November 8, 1960
Democratic Michael J. Barron 9,878 61.36% +5.08%
Republican Robert D. Heckel 6,221 38.64%
Plurality 3,657 22.72% +10.15%
Total votes 16,099 100.0% +32.35%
Democratic hold
Wisconsin Assembly, Milwaukee 18th District Election, 1962[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
General Election, November 6, 1962
Democratic Michael J. Barron (incumbent) 7,341 61.76% +0.40%
Republican F. Paul D'Amore 4,546 38.24%
Plurality 2,795 23.51% +0.80%
Total votes 11,887 100.0% -26.16%
Democratic hold

Wisconsin Circuit Courts (1973)

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Wisconsin Circuit Courts, 1st Circuit, Branch 8 Election, 1973[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
General Election, April 3, 1973
Nonpartisan Michael J. Barron 119,630 59.73%
Nonpartisan Clarence Parrish 80,649 40.27%
Plurality 38,981 19.46%
Total votes 200,279 100.0%


References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f "Honorable Michael J. Barron". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. March 6, 2021. Retrieved April 1, 2023.
  2. ^ a b c "Barron, Michael J. 1933". Wisconsin Historical Society. 8 August 2017. Retrieved April 1, 2023.
  3. ^ "Hon. Michael J. Barron Judge Profile on Martindale.com". www.martindale.com. Retrieved 2021-03-17.
  4. ^ a b Toepel, M. G.; Theobald, H. Rupert, eds. (1962). "Wisconsin Elections". The Wisconsin Blue Book 1962 (Report). Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau. pp. 797, 868. Retrieved April 1, 2023.
  5. ^ Toepel, M. G.; Theobald, H. Rupert, eds. (1962). "Biographies". The Wisconsin Blue Book 1962 (Report). Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau. p. 54. Retrieved April 1, 2023.
  6. ^ a b Theobald, H. Rupert, ed. (1964). "Wisconsin Elections". The Wisconsin Blue Book 1964 (Report). Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau. p. 765. Retrieved April 1, 2023.
  7. ^ Theobald, H. Rupert, ed. (1964). "Biographies". The Wisconsin Blue Book 1964 (Report). Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau. p. 56. Retrieved April 1, 2023.
  8. ^ "GOP Fills 2 Vacant Seats in Assembly". The Sheboygan Press. April 8, 1964. p. 31. Retrieved April 1, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ a b Theobald, H. Rupert; Robbins, Patricia V., eds. (1973). "Addenda". The state of Wisconsin Blue Book 1973 (Report). Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau. p. 874. Retrieved April 1, 2023 – via University of Wisconsin Libraries.
  10. ^ a b Vielmetti, Bruce (March 9, 2021). "Former chief judge had it all, and was grateful every day". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved March 13, 2021.
  11. ^ Mendoza, Manuel (June 13, 1990). "Chief Judge Barron replaced by longtime associate Sheedy". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved December 3, 2015.
  12. ^ "Milwaukee judge named". Stevens Point Journal. September 9, 1999. p. 6. Retrieved April 1, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ "Miss Mary Lu Bruns is Bride of Atty. Michael J. Barron". The Sheboygan Press. July 14, 1962. p. 4. Retrieved April 1, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
Wisconsin State Assembly
Preceded by Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly from the Milwaukee 18th district
January 2, 1961 – January 4, 1965
Succeeded by
Legal offices
Preceded by
William I. O'Neill
Wisconsin Circuit Judge for the 2nd Circuit, Branch 8
August 1, 1973 – July 31, 1978
Circuit abolished
New circuit Wisconsin Circuit Judge for the Milwaukee Circuit, Branch 8
August 1, 1978 – August 31, 1999
Succeeded by
William Sosnay
Preceded by
Victor Manian
Chief Judge of the 1st District of Wisconsin Circuit Courts
August 1, 1986 – July 31, 1990
Succeeded by
Patrick T. Sheedy