Original Article published by the Waukesha Freeman on January 27th, 2009
Doyle picks Congdon for Waukesha court
Local Democratic Party leader starts next month
By Brian Huber
Freeman Staff
WAUKESHA – Waukesha attorney Rick Congdon was appointed by Gov. Jim Doyle on Monday to fill the vacancy created in the county’s circuit court by the retirement of Judge Mark S. Gempeler last month. Congdon will begin his tenure as judge next month, and see his term end July 31, 2010. “I am pleased to appoint Rick Congdon to the Waukesha County Circuit Court,” Doyle said in a news release. “Rick’s outstanding legal career has prepared him to be an effective judge and an asset to the Waukesha County courtroom.”
Congdon, the former chairman of the county Democratic Party, said he was “eager to get to work.” “I am honored by the confidence placed in me by Governor Doyle,” Congdon said. “I look forward to serving the people of Waukesha County as their next circuit court judge.” Congdon said he would meet today with Judge J. Mac Davis, chief judge of the judicial district that includes Waukesha County, to work out details of when he will join the bench. “I am hoping to do it in a couple of weeks,” Congdon said. “I have an obligation to my clients and the other judges who are hearing those cases. ... but it’s going to be sooner rather than later.” Davis said Congdon would assume Gempeler’s spot in criminal court, and he will have a mentoring period before taking on his caseload, as well as further support. “We’ll be glad to have our 12th judge back in a matter of few weeks to handle the workload,” Davis said. “We all know Rick because he’s practiced in the community a long time and I am sure he will fit right in.”
Congdon has been practicing law since 1974 in civil, family and criminal arenas, and also is a court commissioner. He’s been a senior partner at Congdon, Walden, Schuster & Vaklyes S.C. in Waukesha since 1981. But he said Monday he has to “virtually sever all ties to the firm.” In addition, Congdon has worked with La Casa de Esperanza, the Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission and several organizations in Waukesha County. He has traveled extensively in Central America on goodwill and humanitarian missions, was a president of the Wisconsin-Nicaragua Partnership and also participated in sister-city programs with Grenada, Nicaragua and Kokshetau, Kazakhstan. Congdon and his wife, Linda, live in Waukesha and have four adult children. Congdon beat out several other candidates for the position, including Assistant District Attorney Lloyd Carter, former Judge Ness Flores, former county Assistant District Attorney Dennis Krueger, Court Commissioner Linda McKenzie Georgeson and others.
Gempeler retired last December after an extended leave to deal with his own medical concerns as well as his wife’s terminal illness. Davis said Gempeler’s cases and other duties were handled by other county judges and reserve judges in that period. Congdon completes a circle of sorts by being a Democrat who replaces a judge who also was appointed by a Democratic governor. Gempeler was appointed by former Wisconsin Gov. Tony Earl in 1983.