MADISON, WI (WTAQ) – Green Bay native and Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice N. Patrick Crooks has died.
In a news release from Chief Justice Patience Roggensack, Crooks died Monday inside his chambers at the state Capitol.
“Justice Crooks was an outstanding jurist, a thoughtful decision-maker and a colleague with a wonderful Irish sense of humor,” Roggensack said. “In addition to having served as a circuit court judge and on the Supreme Court, Justice Crooks made significant contributions to the legal profession as a lawyer and a teacher. He was a good friend and colleague, and he will be greatly missed by all.”
Crooks is a former Brown County judge who won his first 10-year term on the Supreme Court in 1996, then won re-election in 2006.
The 77-year-old Crooks was typically viewed as a swing vote between the four-justice conservative majority and the two-justice liberal-leaning minority.
Justice Crooks and his wife have 4 daughters and 2 sons. Five of their children are lawyers, and one is a social worker.
Gov. Scott Walker extended his condolences to Crooks’ family Monday. Walker made the announcement while saying he was dropping out of the 2016 presidential race.
