Judge Jeffrey Wagner Will Retire

Milwaukee County Courthouse. Photo by Graham Kilmer.

Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Jeffrey Wagner will retire in March next year.

Judge Wagner was first elected to the bench in 1988. He is currently serving a six-year term following his most recent re-election in 2024.

Wagner plans to retire effective March 16, 2026, according Gov. Tony Evers office. The governor is seeking applicants to finish the rest of Wagner’s term, which ends on August 1, 2030. Wagner currently presides over felony court in circuit court Branch 38.

The judge is a graduate of UW-Milwaukee and received a juris doctor at Cleveland-Marshall College of Law, according to Trellis, a legal research database. Before he put on the robes, Wagner worked as an assistant city attorney for the City of Milwaukee.

The governor is accepting applications for Wagner’s seat through Nov. 21.

Evers has played a role in reshaping the Milwaukee County Circuit Court during his two terms in office. He has appointed more than a dozen judges to the bench who remain in office today. Evers’ appointees include Judges Raphael Ramos, Jorge Fragoso, Ronnie V. Murray II, Amber Rafeet August, Jon Richards, Jack Dávila, Brittany Grayson, Kristela Cervera, Kori Ashley, Anderson Gansner, Lena Taylor, Reyna Morales and John Remington.