Case Title: Martin G. Wenke v. Gehl Company

Citation: 2003 WI 96

Docket Number: 

State: wisconsin

Court: Wisconsin Supreme Court

Date: 2003-07-08T00:00:00Z

Document:
2003 WI 96 
 
 
 
SUPREME COURT OF WISCONSIN 
 
 
 
 
 
CASE NO.: 
01-2649 
 
 
COMPLETE TITLE: 
 
 
Martin G. Wenke and Dakota M. Wenke, a minor, by 
his Guardian ad Litem, Lynn R. Laufenberg,  
 
Plaintiffs-Appellants, 
 
v. 
Gehl Company, a Wisconsin corporation,  
 
Defendant-Respondent. 
 
 
 
 
ON CERTIFICATION FROM THE COURT OF APPEALS 
 
 
OPINION FILED: 
July 8, 2003   
SUBMITTED ON BRIEFS: 
        
ORAL ARGUMENT: 
January 16, 2003   
 
 
SOURCE OF APPEAL: 
 
 
COURT: 
Circuit   
 
COUNTY: 
Washington   
 
JUDGE: 
Patrick J. Faragher   
 
 
 
JUSTICES: 
 
 
CONCURRED: 
        
 
DISSENTED: 
        
 
NOT PARTICIPATING: WILCOX, J., did not participate.   
 
 
 
ATTORNEYS: 
 
For the plaintiffs-appellants there were briefs by Michael 
L. Laufenberg, Lynn R. Laufenberg and Laufenberg & Hoefle, S.C., 
Milwaukee, and oral argument by Lynn R. Laufenberg. 
 
For the defendant-respondent there was a brief by Francis 
H. LoCoco, Daniel J. La Fave and Quarles & Brady LLP, Milwaukee, 
and oral argument by Francis H. LoCoco. 
 
An amicus curiae brief was filed by Ralph A. Weber, Beth 
Ermatinger Hanan, and Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren, S.C., 
Milwaukee, 
on 
behalf 
of 
the 
Wisconsin 
Manufacturers 
and 
Commerce. 
 
An amicus curiae brief was filed by William C. Gleisner, 
III, Madison, and David M. Skoglind and Aiken & Scoptur, S.C., 
Milwaukee, on behalf of the Wisconsin Academy of Trial Lawyers. 
 
 
2003 WI 96 
NOTICE 
This opinion is subject to further 
editing and modification.  The final 
version will appear in the bound 
volume of the official reports.   
No.  01-2649   
(L.C. No. 
99 CV 0431) 
STATE OF WISCONSIN  
 
 
   : 
IN SUPREME COURT 
 
 
Martin G. Wenke and Dakota M. Wenke, a  
minor, by his Guardian ad Litem, Lynn R.  
Laufenberg,  
 
          Plaintiffs-Appellants, 
 
     v. 
 
Gehl Company, a Wisconsin corporation,  
 
          Defendant-Respondent. 
 
FILED 
 
JUL 8, 2003 
 
Cornelia G. Clark 
Clerk of Supreme Court 
 
 
 
 
 
APPEAL from a judgment of the Circuit Court for Washington 
County, 
Patrick 
J. 
Faragher, 
Judge. 
 
Order 
granting 
certification vacated and cause remanded to the Court of 
Appeals.   
 
¶1 
PER CURIAM.  The court is equally divided on whether 
to affirm or reverse the judgment of the circuit court.  Justice 
N. Patrick Crooks, Justice David T. Prosser, Jr., and Justice 
Diane S. Sykes would affirm.  Chief Justice Shirley S. 
Abrahamson, Justice William A. Bablitch, and Justice Ann Walsh 
Bradley 
would 
reverse.  
Justice 
Jon 
P. 
Wilcox did not 
participate. 
No. 01-2649   
 
2 
 
¶2 
When a certification or bypass results in a tie vote 
by this court, the better course of action is to vacate our 
decision to accept certification or bypass and remand the cause 
to the court of appeals.  State v. Richard Knutson, Inc., 191 
Wis. 2d 395, 396-97, 528 N.W.2d 430 (1995) (remanding to court 
of appeals on a tie vote on certification); State v. Elam, 195 
Wis. 2d 683, 684-85, 538 N.W.2d 249 (1995) (restating rule but 
declining to remand to court of appeals on a tie vote on bypass 
because court of appeals had previously decided issue). 
¶3 
Accordingly, 
we 
vacate 
our 
order 
granting 
certification and remand to the court of appeals. 
By the Court.—The Order granting certification is vacated 
and the cause is remanded to the court of appeals. 
 
 
 
No. 01-2649   
 
 
 
1