“I loved reading his well-reasoned opinions and thinking: ‘Hey, I know that guy, ‘” said former Vilas County Circuit Judge Timothy Vocke, who said in a statement Monday he has known Crooks since 1978 and served as circuit court judges together.
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Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Patrick Crooks died Monday in the state Capitol, the court announced. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that Crooks came into work for an administrative hearing but excused himself before it was over and was later found dead in his chambers.
Last week, 77-year-old Crooks announced he would not seek re-election at the end of his term next year.
Crooks did not appear in person for oral arguments before the court on Friday, though he listened on Wisconsin Eye and participated in votes, Chief Justice Patience Roggensack said then.
Walker has the power to appoint someone to fill Crooks’ seat ahead of the election, according to state elections officials.
However, one can also make a case that it is misleading to distinguish so sharply between Justice Crooks as the court’s apparent “moderate” or “swing vote” and Justice Prosser as a member of the court’s conservative bloc.
Crooks was born in Green Bay in 1938 and first elected to the state’s highest court in 1996 after serving 19 years as a Brown County judge.
He ran for the Supreme Court in 1995 as a conservative, with his campaign directed by prominent Republican legislator Scott Jensen.
The election for Crook’s seat is set for this spring. “Serving with him was an honor and a privilege”, she said. Crooks received his bachelor’s degree from St. Norbert College in 1960 and his law degree from the University of Notre Dame in 1963.
Gov. Scott Walker offered condolences to Crooks’ family ahead of a news conference to announce his departure from the presidential race. “The justice served Wisconsin well and with integrity”, Barca said.
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Crooks is survived by his wife, Kris, and six children – five of whom are lawyers – as well as several grandchildren.
