>> JANET PROTASIEWICZ WAS
ELECTED LAST APRIL IN THE MOST
EXPENSIVE COURT RACE IN OUR
NATION'S HISTORY.
HER 10-YEAR TERM ON THE COURT
STARTED TUESDAY WITH A
CEREMONIAL INVESTITURE AT THE
STATE KOVMENT "HERE AND NOW"
SENIOR APOLLO REPORTER, ZAC
SCHULTZ, TELLS US HER SUPPORTERS
HAVE HIGH EXPECTATIONS FOR THE
NEW LIBERAL MAJORITY ON THE
COURT.
>> AND WILL FAITHFULLY AND
IMPARTIALLY...
>> GENTILE PROTASIEWICZ TOOK THE
OATH OF OFFICE TO JOIN THE
WISCONSIN SUPREME COURT IN THE
CAPITOL ROTUNDA TUESDAY.
>> LADIES AND GENTLEMEN...
(Cheers and Applause).
>> IN HER SPEECH, SHE SAID ALL
THE THINGS THAT IMPARTIAL
JUSTICE SHOULD SAY.
>> THE WISCONSIN SUPREME COURT'S
EXECUTION OF OUR DUTIES WITHOUT
FAVOUR TO SPECIAL INTERESTS,
POLITICAL PRESSURE OR OUR OWN
PERSONAL BELIEFS IS VITAL TO
GIVING THE PEOPLE OF OUR STATE
TRUST AND CONFIDENCE IN OUR
JUDICIAL SYSTEM.
>> BUT EVERYONE IN THE CROWD OF
FRIENDS AND COLLEAGUES
UNDERSTOOD HER INVESTITURE MEANS
THE COURT WILL NOW HAVE A
LIBERAL MAJORITY AFTER 15 YEARS
OF CONSERVATIVES CONTROLLING THE
COURT.
>> HOW WONDERFUL.
WHAT AN AMAZING DAY.
>> JUSTICE ANN WALSH BRADLEY HAS
SERVED ON THE COURT FOR 28 YEARS
AND HINTED THAT CHANGES TO COME,
LIKE OPENING UP THE JUDICIAL
PROCESS TO MORE TRANSPARENCY.
>> OUR CHALLENGE, THE CHALLENGE
OF THE SEVEN JUSTICES, ALL OF US
ON THE SUPREME COURT, IS TO WORK
TO ENHANCE THE PUBLIC TRUST AND
CONFIDENCE OF THE PEOPLE IN THE
JUDICIARY AND RETURN THIS COURT
TO THE NATIONAL REPUTATION THAT
IT ONCE ENJOYED.
(Cheers and Applause).
>> PROTASIEWICZ CAMPAIGNED BY
TALKING ABOUT HER VALUES ON
ISSUES LIKE ABORTION AND
GERRYMANDERING, BUT HAS NOT
REFERENCED THOSE TOPICS BY NAME
SINCE HER ELECTION IN APRIL.
>> THE ISSUES THAT WILL COME
BEFORE THIS COURT ARE COMPLEX.
MANY OF THEM DEAL WITH OUR MOST
BASIC RIGHTS THAT ARE OUTLINED
IN OUR CONSTITUTION, DECISIONS
THAT THIS COURT WILL BE MAKING
WILL IMPACT SOME OF THE MOST
IMPORTANT ASPECTS OF OUR DAILY
LIVES.
>> AS WISCONSIN'S NON-PARTISAN
SUPREME COURT ELECTIONS HAVE
BECOME MORE PARTISAN, VOTERS
HAVE STARTED EXPECTING PARTISAN
RESULTS FROM THEIR CANDIDATES.
CONSERVATIVES HAVE BEEN ANGRY
WITH JUSTICE HAGEDORN FOR YEARS
BECAUSE HE OCCASIONALLY SIDES
WITH THE LIBERALS ON THE COURT.
WHAT DO PROTASIEWICZ'S
SUPPORTERS EXPECT OF HER ON THE
COURT?
>> WELL, WE EXPECT IT TO BE
LIBERAL NOW AND FOR WOMEN'S
RIGHTS ALSO, AND SHE'S FAIR, SO
WE EXPECT FAIRNESS.
>> AND I THINK THAT SHE'LL BE
ABLE TO REALLY UPHOLD HER IDEALS
THAT SHE RAN WITH, AS WAS STATED
IN HER CAMPAIGN.
SHE IS VERY, LIKE, MORAL -- SHE
STICKS TO HER MORALS.
>> CHRIS TAYLOR IS A FORMER
DEMOCRATIC LEGISLATOR AND IS NOW
A WISCONSIN APPELLATE COURT
JUDGE.
>> SHE HAS CERTAIN VALUES THAT
SHE HOLDS, THAT SHE TALKED A LOT
ABOUT THAT ARE SHARED BY THE
PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF
WISCONSIN.
I THINK SHE'S GOING TO BRING
THOSE VALUES TO THE BENCH
WITHOUT PREJUDGING.
WHAT'S BEFORE HER, BUT THE BIG
MESSAGE I THINK HERE IS FAIRNESS
AND GIVING EVERY PERSON A CHANCE
TO GET THE JUSTICE THEY NEED
FROM THE STATE SUPREME COURT.
>> PROTASIEWICZ DIRECTED ONE
PORTION OF HER SPEECH TO HER
COLLEAGUES, BUT THE MESSAGE
APPLIED TO ALL HER SUPPORTERS.
>> BUT I'M READY TO GET TO WORK
AND I'M READY TO DELIVER JUSTICE
AND COMMON SENSE AS A MEMBER OF
THIS COURT.
>> REPORTING FROM MADISON, I'M