By Heather Graves
Correspondent
BROWN COUNTY – The Honorable William Atkinson, one of Brown County’s long-serving circuit court judges, will be hanging up his robe this August – and the hunt is on for his replacement.
Atkinson has been a Brown County judge since 1991.
Before that, he served as Green Bay’s municipal judge for six years. Prior to that he was a private practice attorney.
Atkinson’s retirement is effective Aug. 11.
Brown County Executive Troy Streckenbach said Chief Judge Honorable James Morrison appointed Circuit Court Branch 3 judge Honorable Tammy Jo Hock as the new presiding judge for Brown County.
Hock was appointed to Branch 3 in April 2012 by former Gov. Scott Walker, and was elected to the court in April 2013 after running unopposed.
Before that, Hock served as assistant United States attorney.
“If you see Judge Atkinson make sure you say thank you for his long tenure for Brown County and if you see Judge Hock congratulate her on her new position,” Streckenbach said.
Gov. Tony Evers has announced he is looking for the judge that will fill the Circuit Court Branch 8 vacancy.
Applications for the position are available on Gov. Evers’s website and the deadline to apply is Aug. 9.
Potential applicants with questions about the judicial selection process may contact the governor’s Office of Legal Counsel at 608-266-1212.
The new judge will complete a term ending June 30, 2020.