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Louis J. Ceci

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Louis Ceci
Justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court
In office
April 15, 1982 – September 4, 1993
Appointed byLee S. Dreyfus
Preceded byJohn Louis Coffey
Succeeded byJanine P. Geske
Wisconsin Circuit Judge for the Milwaukee Circuit, Branch 1
In office
August 1, 1978 – April 15, 1982
Preceded byTransitioned from 2nd circ.
Succeeded byCharles B. Schudson
Wisconsin Circuit Judge for the 2nd Circuit, Branch 1
In office
January 1, 1974 – July 31, 1978
Preceded byElmer W. Roller
Succeeded byTransitioned to Milwaukee circ.
County Judge of Milwaukee County, Branch 3
In office
September 14, 1968 – December 31, 1973
Appointed byWarren P. Knowles
Preceded byJohn A. Krueger
Succeeded byTerence T. Evans
Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly
from the Milwaukee 18th district
In office
January 4, 1965 – January 2, 1967
Preceded byMichael J. Barron
Succeeded byJames E. Held
Personal details
Born (1927-09-10) September 10, 1927 (age 96)
New York, New York, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
Spouse
Shirley Haldi
​
​
(m. 1956; died 2022)​
Children6
ResidenceWauwatosa, Wisconsin
Alma mater
ProfessionLawyer, judge
Military service
AllegianceUnited States
Branch/serviceUnited States Navy
Years of service1945–1946
Battles/warsWorld War II

Louis John Ceci (born September 10, 1927) is a retired American lawyer, jurist, and Republican politician. He was a justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court from 1982 through 1993, after serving eight years as a Wisconsin circuit court judge in Milwaukee County. He previously represented northern Milwaukee County in the Wisconsin State Assembly during the 1965 session.

Early life

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Louis Ceci was born in New York City on September 10, 1927, the son of Italian American immigrants.[1][2] As a child, he moved with his parents to Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Before completing high school, at age 17, he enlisted in the United States Navy, and went to serve in the Pacific Theater of World War II.[2]

After returning from the war, he graduated from Theodore Roosevelt High School in New York City, in 1947. He went on to attend Marquette University in Milwaukee, where he earned his bachelor's degree in 1951 and his J.D. in 1954.[2]

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He was admitted to the bar and started his own law practice in Milwaukee. He made his first attempt for election to the Wisconsin State Assembly in 1956, but lost badly in the Republican Party primary, earning just 19% of the vote.[3] He was then employed as assistant city attorney in 1958, working for Milwaukee city attorney Walter J. Mattison.[4] Ceci ultimately remained in the city attorney's office until 1963.

In 1964, Ceci made another attempt for election to Wisconsin State Assembly. This time he was unopposed in the Republican primary. He went on to win a narrow victory in the general election, receiving 51% of the vote.[5] He represented Milwaukee County's 18th Assembly district, which then comprised the farthest northern parts of the city and county.[6] During his term in the Assembly, he served on the Assembly Committee on Commerce and Manufacturers, and on the Joint Committee on Repeals, Revisions, and Uniform Laws.[7]

Rather than running for re-election in 1966, he launched a campaign for Attorney General of Wisconsin. He faced a primary against Taylor County district attorney John Olson, but had substantial support from party leadership, boosted by his colleagues in the Assembly,[8] and Olson ultimately dropped out of the race. Ceci went on to defeat in the general election, losing to the incumbent, Bronson La Follette.[9] Two years later, he began another campaign for Attorney General, but this time could not muster significant support at the Republican State Convention. He quit the race before the primary.[10]

Judicial career

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Shortly after bowing out of the 1968 primary, Ceci was appointed Milwaukee County judge for the traffic branch by Governor Warren P. Knowles, filling the vacancy caused by the suicide of judge John A. Krueger.[11] He was subsequently elected to a full term as county judge and served until the end of 1973.[12] In 1972, incumbent circuit judge George D. Young was declared medically incapacitated, triggering a new election. Ceci entered the race for the open seat and won the April 1973 election without opposition.[13] He was re-elected without opposition in 1979. As a county judge and circuit judge, Ceci clashed at times with Milwaukee County District Attorney E. Michael McCann and with the Milwaukee County Sheriff's Department.[14][15]

In 1980, he ran for Wisconsin Supreme Court. After a strong first place finish in the nonpartisan primary, he was narrowly defeated in the April general election by fellow Milwaukee judge Donald W. Steinmetz.[16] Nevertheless, two years later, when Wisconsin Supreme Court justice John Louis Coffey was appointed to the federal Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals, Ceci was appointed to the Supreme Court by Governor Lee S. Dreyfus. He was subsequently elected to a full ten-year term on the court in April 1984, without facing an opponent in that election.[17] With a year left in his term, in 1993, Ceci announced his plans to retire early, allowing Governor Tommy Thompson to appoint a replacement.[18] At the time of his retirement, Ceci's judicial philosophy was classified as one of the most conservative among the court's justices.[19]

Personal life and family

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Louis Ceci married Shirley Haldi in 1956. They had six children together and were married for 65 years before her death in 2022. Ceci resides in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin.[20]

Electoral history

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Wisconsin Assembly (1956)

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Wisconsin Assembly, Milwaukee 18th District Election, 1956[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Primary, September 11, 1956
Republican John R. Meyer 11,431 75.59%
Republican Louis J. Ceci 890 19.43%
Republican Walter R. Sukowatey 228 4.98%
Plurality 2,572 56.16%
Total votes 4,580 100.0%

Wisconsin Assembly (1964)

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Wisconsin Assembly, Milwaukee 18th District Election, 1964[5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
General Election, November 3, 1964
Republican Louis J. Ceci 11,431 50.93% +12.69%
Democratic Otto H. Schneider 11,014 49.07%
Plurality 417 1.86% -21.66%
Total votes 22,445 100.0% +88.82%
Republican gain from Democratic

Wisconsin Attorney General (1966)

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Wisconsin Attorney General Election, 1966[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
General Election, November 8, 1966
Democratic Bronson La Follette (incumbent) 609,216 53.56% −0.76%
Republican Louis J. Ceci 528,202 46.44%
Plurality 81,014 7.12% -1.52%
Total votes 1,137,418 100.0% -29.97%
Democratic hold

Wisconsin Supreme Court (1980)

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Wisconsin Supreme Court Election, 1980[16]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Nonpartisan Primary, February 19, 1980
Nonpartisan Louis J. Ceci 142,702 46.15%
Nonpartisan Donald W. Steinmetz 90,286 29.20%
Nonpartisan P. Charles Jones 76,253 24.66%
Total votes 309,241 100.0%
General Election, April 1, 1980
Nonpartisan Donald W. Steinmetz 663,378 50.18%
Nonpartisan Louis J. Ceci 658,605 49.82%
Plurality 4,773 0.36% -29.89%
Total votes 1,321,983 100.0% +57.39%

References

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  1. ^ Dobish, Alex P. (21 March 1982). "Louis Ceci: from Bronx to State Supreme Court". Milwaukee Journal. Retrieved 29 July 2015.
  2. ^ a b c "Former Justices - Justice Louis J. Ceci". Wisconsin Court System. Retrieved April 1, 2023.
  3. ^ a b Toepel, M. G.; Kuehn, Hazel L., eds. (1958). "Parties and Elections". The Wisconsin Blue Book 1958 (Report). Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau. p. 676. Retrieved April 1, 2023 – via University of Wisconsin Libraries.
  4. ^ "Negro Lawyer Gets Milwaukee Post". Kenosha News. January 15, 1958. p. 7. Retrieved April 1, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ a b Theobald, H. Rupert, ed. (1966). "Elections in Wisconsin". The Wisconsin Blue Book 1966 (Report). Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau. p. 757. Retrieved April 1, 2023 – via University of Wisconsin Libraries.
  6. ^ Theobald, H. Rupert, ed. (1966). "The Legislative Branch". The Wisconsin Blue Book 1966 (Report). Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau. p. 354. Retrieved April 1, 2023 – via University of Wisconsin Libraries.
  7. ^ Theobald, H. Rupert, ed. (1966). "Biographies". The Wisconsin Blue Book 1966 (Report). Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau. p. 55. Retrieved April 1, 2023 – via University of Wisconsin Libraries.
  8. ^ "Ceci Favored to Win GOP Atty. Gen. Bid". Racine Journal Times. May 21, 1966. p. 1. Retrieved April 1, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ a b Theobald, H. Rupert; Robbins, Patricia V., eds. (1968). "Elections in Wisconsin". The Wisconsin Blue Book 1968 (Report). Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau. p. 720. Retrieved April 1, 2023 – via University of Wisconsin Libraries.
  10. ^ "Floor Leader McKay Quits Election Race". Wisconsin State Journal. June 18, 1968. p. 2. Retrieved April 1, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ "Knowles Taps Ceci for Judge in Milwaukee". Wisconsin State Journal. September 15, 1968. p. 15. Retrieved April 1, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ "Ceci, Louis J. 1927". Wisconsin Historical Society. 7 March 2016. Retrieved April 1, 2023.
  13. ^ 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.
  14. ^ Kerstein, Edward S. (28 August 1975). "Justices Block Ceci on Contempt Charges". The Milwaukee Journal.
  15. ^ Janz, William (1 August 1969). "Ceci Kicks Up a Storm as Deputy Balks at Order". The Milwaukee Sentinel. Retrieved 29 July 2015.
  16. ^ a b Theobald, H. Rupert; Robbins, Patricia V., eds. (1981). "Elections in Wisconsin". The State of Wisconsin Blue Book 1981–1982 (Report). Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau. pp. 864, 866. Retrieved April 1, 2023 – via University of Wisconsin Libraries.
  17. ^ Theobald, H. Rupert; Robbins, Patricia V., eds. (1985). "Elections in Wisconsin". The State of Wisconsin Blue Book 1985–1986 (Report). Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau. p. 879. Retrieved April 1, 2023 – via University of Wisconsin Libraries.
  18. ^ "Ceci to retire from high court". Wisconsin State Journal. May 5, 1993. p. 25. Retrieved April 1, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  19. ^ Walters, Steven (5 May 1993). "Ceci to retire from State Supreme Court in September". The Milwaukee Sentinel. Retrieved 29 July 2015.
  20. ^ "Shirley H. Ceci". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. February 5, 2022. Retrieved April 1, 2023.
[edit]
Party political offices
Preceded by Republican nominee for Attorney General of Wisconsin
1966 		Succeeded by
Wisconsin State Assembly
Preceded by Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly from the Milwaukee 18th district
January 4, 1965 – January 2, 1967 		Succeeded by
Legal offices
Preceded by
John A. Krueger
 County Judge of Milwaukee County, Branch 3
September 14, 1968 – December 31, 1973 		Succeeded by
Preceded by
Elmer W. Roller
 Wisconsin Circuit Judge for the 2nd Circuit, Branch 1
January 1, 1974 – July 31, 1978 		Circuit abolished
New circuit Wisconsin Circuit Judge for the Milwaukee Circuit, Branch 1
August 1, 1978 – April 15, 1982 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court
April 15, 1982 – September 4, 1993 		Succeeded by
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