Michael T. Sullivan

In the mid-1970s, the Wisconsin Supreme Court began experimenting with organizational reforms to the state court system and, in 1975, set up 14 judicial administrative districts—each with a chief judge tasked with managing judicial assignments for circuit and county judges in the district and supervising court schedules.[6] Judge Sullivan was elected Chief Judge for the Milwaukee district by a vote of his colleagues, but, within a year, his attempts to apply the new powers prescribed by the Supreme Court led to significant pushback from judges in Milwaukee County—who questioned both Judge Sullivan's methods and the constitutional authority of the state Supreme Court to impose such rules on the judges.[7][8]

The need for reform, confronted by the objections of the judges, necessitated a legislative and constitutional solution. This controversy resulted in the 1977 referenda on amendments to the Constitution of Wisconsin which created the Wisconsin Court of Appeals, gave new powers to the state Supreme Court, and enabled the legislation which flattened the county and circuit court system. Throughout the reorganization process, Judge Sullivan was outspoken as an advocate for judges in the discussion, offering his suggestions for the reorganization plan and identifying flaws that needed to be addressed in the new system.[9] Following the judicial reorganization plan, the Milwaukee County court was combined with the 2nd circuit to create the Milwaukee Circuit court. Judge Sullivan transitioned from a Milwaukee County judge to a judge for the Milwaukee circuit, effective August 1, 1978. Judge Sullivan was also selected to remain in his role as Chief Judge for the Milwaukee district—with the chief judges now appointed by the Wisconsin Supreme Court.[10]

After a year of the new system, however, Judge Sullivan announced his plan to resign, effective January 1, 1980, for personal reasons.[2] Over the next several years, Sullivan continued to serve as a reserve judge, and became a full time acting judge for Branch 11 of the Milwaukee circuit when Judge Christ T. Seraphim was suspended for misconduct in office.[11][12] In 1982, he solicited appointment to the Wisconsin Supreme Court in the event of Justice John Louis Coffey's appointment to the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, but Governor Lee S. Dreyfus instead appointed Louis J. Ceci.[11]

In the month before his 1979 resignation, Judge Sullivan received an informal reprimand from the state Ethics Board. The reprimand resulted from Judge Sullivan's complaints against two state legislators, Speaker Edward Jackamonis and Edward F. McClain, who he accused of interfering in the judiciary. He also publicly accused fellow Milwaukee judge Fred Kessler, himself a former-legislator, of conspiring with the Assembly leadership to circumvent his ruling which had enabled bail for profit operations in the state.[13] Sullivan ultimately withdrew his complaints, but the Ethics Board scolded him for the public nature of his complaint, saying that his actions were "contrary to the Ethics Code's purpose of promoting faith and confidence of the people of this state in their state public officials."[14]