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State justice: Police developed security plan

MADISON — Police set up a security plan for the Wisconsin Supreme Court's two liberal-leaning justices in the weeks before conservative Justice David Prosser wrapped his hands around one of their necks during an argument, according to court documents released Wednesday.

Justice Ann Walsh Bradley wrote that she and Chief Justice Shirley Abrahamson believed Prosser was growing more agitated leading up to the incident and feared for their safety. She lamented the lack of consequences for Prosser, saying she and Abrahamson still lock themselves in their offices because they're afraid of him.

She also accused Prosser's conservative allies, Justice Pat Roggensack and Justice Michael Gableman of enabling Prosser, singling out Roggensack for minimizing the court's conflicts as Roggensack pushes for re-election.

"Denying that those problems exist merely enables the behavior and prevents meaningful solutions," Bradley wrote.

The news comes less than a week before Tuesday's primary election in which Roggensack faces two challengers. She is seeking a second 10-year term on the state's highest court and her challengers have tried to make conflicts among the justices an issue in the race.

Roggensack said Bradley's accusations that she enabled Prosser were unfair. And her campaign adviser Brandon Scholz suggested the documents' release was timed to hurt Roggensack as she heads into a primary election next week.

"Here we are a year and a half later, a few days before the election, and this comes out," Scholz said. "From the campaign side of things it certainly raises my eyebrows."