SHEBOYGAN, WI (WHBL) - Ever since Judge Timothy Van Akkeren stepped down from the bench for Sheboygan County’s Branch 2 Court over a month ago, court proceedings have been covered with a reserve judge.
This has happened despite Governor Scott Walker announcing back in October that he would appoint a replacement for the seat. Typically an appointment is made before the judge leaves, but that was not the case when Van Akkeren retired January 4.
While visiting Sheboygan Friday, Walker said his office has conducted interviews of applicants for the judgeship and now they are working on background checks. "We like to make sure with all of our appointments, be they to our cabinet, sheriff’s, DAs, as well as circuit court judges, that we do a comprehensive review of their background and the work that they’ve done in the community. Our hope is within the next few weeks we’ll be at a point where we’ll be able to make an appointment. Part of it is just checking and double checking some of the back work we’ve done.”
Whoever is appointed will have to run next spring for a full six-year term for the judge seat.
