Maxine Aldridge White facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
The Honorable
Maxine Aldridge White
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| Chief Judge of the Wisconsin Court of Appeals | |
| Assumed office August 1, 2023 |
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| Appointed by | Wisconsin Supreme Court |
| Preceded by | William W. Brash III |
| Judge of the Wisconsin Court of Appeals District I | |
| Assumed office February 7, 2020 |
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| Appointed by | Tony Evers |
| Preceded by | Joan F. Kessler |
| Chief Judge of the 1st District of Wisconsin Circuit Courts | |
| In office August 1, 2015 – February 7, 2020 |
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| Preceded by | Jeffrey Kremers |
| Succeeded by | Mary Triggiano |
| Wisconsin Circuit Court Judge for the Milwaukee Circuit, Branch 1 | |
| In office August 1, 1994 – February 7, 2020 |
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| Appointed by | Tommy Thompson |
| Preceded by | Charles B. Schudson |
| Succeeded by | Jack Dávila |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1951 (age 73–74) Mississippi |
| Education |
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| Salary | $150,280 |
| Website | Judge Maxine Aldridge White |
Maxine Aldridge White, born in 1951, is a very important American judge. She is currently the top judge for the Wisconsin Court of Appeals. She has been a judge on this court in Milwaukee since 2020. She made history as the first African-American woman to become a judge on the Wisconsin Court of Appeals.
Before this, she worked for 18 years as a judge in Milwaukee County. She was also the main judge for the 1st Judicial District from 2015 until 2020. Earlier in her career, she worked as a federal prosecutor. This means she was a lawyer who worked for the government to bring cases against people who broke federal laws.
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About Judge Maxine White
Early Life and Education
Maxine White was born in 1951 in a rural area of Mississippi. Her family worked as sharecroppers on cotton farms.
She went to Alcorn State University and earned her bachelor's degree in 1973. Later, she received her master's degree from the University of Southern California in 1982.
Before becoming a lawyer, Judge White worked for the United States Social Security Administration in Milwaukee. She then went to Marquette University Law School and finished her law degree in 1985.
Becoming a Federal Prosecutor
From 1985 to 1992, Judge White worked as an Assistant United States Attorney. This job involved prosecuting crimes for the federal government. She was the first African-American woman to hold this position in the Eastern District of Wisconsin.
Serving as a Circuit Court Judge
In 1992, Governor Tommy Thompson appointed Judge White to be a judge for the Wisconsin Circuit Court in Milwaukee County. She served in this role for many years.
Before 2015, she was a deputy chief judge for the court. In 2015, the Wisconsin Supreme Court chose her to be the chief judge of the Milwaukee County Circuit Court. She was the first African-American chief judge in the court's history.
As chief judge, she helped get a large grant of $4.5 million from the MacArthur Foundation. This money was used to help reduce the number of people in jail.
Moving to the Court of Appeals
In 2020, Governor Tony Evers appointed Judge White to the Wisconsin Court of Appeals. She took the place of Judge Joan F. Kessler, who was retiring. When she started this new role, Judge White again made history. She became the first African-American woman to serve on the Court of Appeals.
In 2023, the Wisconsin Supreme Court chose Judge White to become the chief judge of the Wisconsin Court of Appeals. She started this new leadership role on August 1, 2023.
