Patrick J. Fiedler (born 1953) is an American lawyer, mediator, and jurist from Wisconsin. He was a Wisconsin circuit court judge in

Dane County Dane County is a County (United States), county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 561,504, making it the second-most populous county in Wisconsin after Milwaukee County, Wiscon ...

for 18 years, from 1993 to 2011. Earlier in his career, he was the 2nd secretary of the

Wisconsin Department of Corrections The Wisconsin Department of Corrections (WIDOC) is an administrative department in the executive branch of the state of Wisconsin responsible for corrections in Wisconsin, including state prisons and community supervision. The secretary is a cab ...

, in the cabinet of governor

Tommy Thompson Tommy George Thompson (born November 19, 1941) is an American politician who served as the 19th United States secretary of Health and Human Services from 2001 to 2005 in the Presidency of George W. Bush, cabinet of President of the United State ...

, and he served as

United States Attorney United States attorneys are officials of the U.S. Department of Justice who serve as the chief federal law enforcement officers in each of the 94 U.S. federal judicial districts. Each U.S. attorney serves as the United States' chief federal ...

for the Western District of Wisconsin, appointed by President

Ronald Reagan Ronald Wilson Reagan (February 6, 1911 – June 5, 2004) was an American politician and actor who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He was a member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party a ...

. In the year after he left the judgeship, Fiedler also served as president of the

State Bar of Wisconsin The State Bar of Wisconsin (SBW) is the integrated (mandatory) bar association of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Created by the Wisconsin Supreme Court for all attorneys who hold a Wisconsin law license, the State Bar of Wisconsin aids the courts i ...

Biography

Patrick Fiedler was born and raised in

Mineral Point, Wisconsin Mineral Point is a city in Iowa County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 2,581 at the 2020 census. The city is located within the Town of Mineral Point and is part of the Madison metropolitan area. Mineral Point was settled in 182 ...

; he graduated from Mineral Point High School in 1971. After a brief pause in his education, he went on to attend the

University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee The University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee (UW–Milwaukee, UWM, or Milwaukee) is a Public university, public Urban university, urban research university in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States. It is the largest university in the Milwaukee metropo ...

, where he earned his bachelor's in business administration in 1977. He decided to attend law school at

Marquette University Law School Marquette University Law School is the Law school in the United States, law school of Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It is one of two law schools in Wisconsin and the only private law school in the state. Founded in 1892 as the Mil ...

, receiving his J.D. in May 1980. After graduating law school, Fiedler was hired as an

assistant district attorney In the United States, a district attorney (DA), county attorney, county prosecutor, state attorney, state's attorney, prosecuting attorney, commonwealth's attorney, or solicitor is the chief prosecutor or chief law enforcement officer represe ...

Waukesha County, Wisconsin Waukesha County () is a county (United States), county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 406,978, making it the third-most populous county in Wisconsin. Its median income of $88,985 placed ...

. After four years at the district attorney's office, he worked for a year as an attorney in private practice with the firm Runkel, Runkel & Ansay. In 1985, he moved back to

Iowa County, Wisconsin Iowa County is a county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census, the population was 23,709. Its county seat and largest city is Dodgeville. When created, it was part of the Michigan Territory. Iowa County is part of the Madiso ...

, and set up a law firm partnership then known as Hamilton, Mueller, and Fiedler, in Dodgeville. In January 1987, Wisconsin's western district

, John R. Byrnes, announced his resignation. The Reagan administration accepted applicants for the position from Wisconsin attorneys, and Fiedler was quickly identified as one of the finalists. President

indicated in May 1987 that he planned to nominate Fiedler for the role. Fiedler took over as acting U.S. attorney in August 1987, but was not officially nominated until November of that year. He was confirmed by the

United States Senate The United States Senate is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the upper house, with the United States House of Representatives, U.S. House of Representatives being the lower house. Together, the Senate and ...

on February 25, 1988. After accepting the job as U.S. attorney, Fiedler moved to

Madison, Wisconsin Madison is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. It is the List of municipalities in Wisconsin by population, second-most populous city in the state, with a population of 269,840 at the 2020 Uni ...

—the location of the principal courthouse of the Western District of Wisconsin—where he has subsequently maintained his primary residence. He served four years as U.S. attorney, during which time he was active in prosecuting the war on drugs. After winning his second term as

Governor of Wisconsin The governor of Wisconsin is the head of government of Wisconsin and the commander-in-chief of the state's Wisconsin Army National Guard, army and Wisconsin Air National Guard, air forces. The governor has a duty to enforce state laws, and the ...

tapped Fiedler to serve as secretary of the

, succeeding the first person to hold that office, Stephen E. Bablitch. Fiedler served nearly three years as secretary of the Department of Corrections, until Thompson appointed him to serve as a Wisconsin circuit court judge in

Dane County, Wisconsin Dane County is a county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census, the population was 561,504, making it the second-most populous county in Wisconsin after Milwaukee County. Dane County is the fastest growing county in Wisconsin. ...

, in the Fall of 1993. Fiedler was sworn in as judge on November 24, 1993, with his father, Iowa County circuit judge James Fiedler, administering the oath. He went on to win a full term as judge in the April 1994 election, and was re-elected in 2000 and 2006. Fiedler announced his retirement from the court in September 2011, leaving office with a year left on his term. He returned to private practice, joining the Axley Brynelson law firm. After three years, he left that firm and joined Hurley Burish, S.C., where he continues to practice law. He was elected president of the

in 2013.

Personal life and family

Patrick Fiedler is a son of James Fiedler. James Fiedler was a prominent attorney in Mineral Point; he served 24 years as a county judge and Wisconsin circuit court judge, and he was chief judge of the 7th district of Wisconsin circuit courts in the 1980s. Patrick Fiedler and his wife, Sandy, have three adult children.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fiedler, Patrick J. 1953 births Living people People from Mineral Point, Wisconsin People from Dodgeville, Wisconsin People from Waukesha County, Wisconsin Lawyers from Madison, Wisconsin University of Wisconsin–Madison alumni Marquette University Law School alumni United States attorneys for the Western District of Wisconsin Wisconsin circuit court judges 20th-century American lawyers 20th-century Wisconsin state court judges 21st-century American lawyers 21st-century American judges