Lynn Adelman Federal Admonished

Lynn Adelman, a U.S. District Court judge in Wisconsin, was publicly admonished by the Judicial Council of the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals over a 35-page law review article he authored, titled "The Roberts Court's Assault on Democracy," which personally criticized Chief Justice John Roberts, then-President Donald Trump, and Republican Party policy positions. The Council found the specific remarks did not violate the outright ban on prohibited political activity under the Canons of Judicial Conduct, but concluded that his opening comments about the Chief Justice and his pointed criticism of Republican policy positions "could be seen as inconsistent with a judge's duty to promote public confidence in the integrity and impartiality of the judiciary and as reflecting adversely on the judge's impartiality." Adelman later issued a public apology for the remarks. Separately, Adelman was at the center of a high-profile ruling blocking Wisconsin's voter ID law ahead of an election — a decision the U.S. Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals reversed, issuing a sharp rebuke of his reasoning in that ruling as well. The prior admonishment resurfaced in coverage after Adelman was assigned to preside over the criminal trial of Milwaukee Judge Hannah Dugan in 2025.