State Superintendent issues statement on death of former justice

Wisconsin’s State Superintendent expressed her condolences following the death of former Wisconsin Supreme Court Chief Justice Shirley Abrahamson.

Carolyn Stanford Taylor released her comments following Abrahamson’s death last Saturday. Abrahamson, who was the longest-serving justice in Wisconsin history and first female on the court, passed away at age 87 from pancreatic cancer.

“My heart goes out to the family of former Chief Justice Shirley Abrahamson (…),” said Stanford Taylor. “She was a champion of civil rights and devoted her life to pursuing justice for all. In such a short period of time, the nation lost two great legal voices with the passing of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and now Justice Abrahamson. My sincere gratitude to Justice Abrahamson for her impact on our legal system and the girls and young women throughout our state. She will be missed in this life, but her impact will be felt for generations to come.”

According to the AP, Abrahamson was almost a U.S. Supreme Court justice in the early 90s. She served on the state court from 1976 to 2018, stepping down in 2019 due to health issues.