Donald W. Steinmetz Explained

Honorific Prefix:The Honorable
Donald W. Steinmetz
Office:Justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court
Term Start:August 1, 1980
Term End:September 1999
Predecessor:Connor Hansen
Successor:Diane S. Sykes
Term Start1:August 1, 1978
Term End1:August 1, 1980
Predecessor1:Transitioned from County Court
Successor1:Thomas P. Doherty
Office2:County Judge for
Term Start2:January 1, 1966
Term End2:July 31, 1978
Predecessor2:Herbert A. Schultz
Successor2:Transitioned to Circuit Court
Birth Date:19 September 1924
Birth Place:Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Death Place:Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Restingplace:Holy Cross Cemetery
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Profession:lawyer, judge
Father:Christian Steinmetz
Mother:Bessie (Engel) Steinmetz
Allegiance: United States
Serviceyears:1943–1945
Battles:World War II

Donald Walter Steinmetz (September 19, 1924August 31, 2013) was an American lawyer and judge. He served as a justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court for 19 years, and before that was a trial judge in Milwaukee County for 14 years.

Background

Born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Steinmetz served in the United States Army Air Forces during World War II. Steinmetz then graduated from the University of Wisconsin - Madison and received his law degree from the University of Wisconsin Law School. Steinmetz was a claims attorney before his service in government. Between 1958 and 1966, he worked as an assistant Milwaukee city attorney, an assistant district attorney in Milwaukee County, and an assistant Wisconsin Attorney General. In 1964, he was the preferred candidate of Democratic leaders, including Governor John W. Reynolds, Jr., to replace deceased Milwaukee County District Attorney William McCauley, but the post went to Hugh O'Connell. He was a Wisconsin county judge and later a Wisconsin Circuit Court judge for Milwaukee County after the county courts were combined into the circuit courts. He was also a teacher at the Wisconsin Judicial College. He was elected to the Wisconsin Supreme Court in 1980 and re-elected in 1990.[1] [2]

He died on August 31, 2013, in Milwaukee.[3]

Notes and References

  1. http://www.wicourts.gov/courts/supreme/justices/retired/steinmetz.htm Justice Donald Steinmetz
  2. http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/dictionary/index.asp?action=view&term=id=2801&keyword=steinmetz Donald Steinmetz, Wisconsin Historical Society
  3. http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/jsonline/obituary.aspx?pid=166788779 Justice Donald Walter Steinmetz-obituary