Title: State v. Wisconsin Central Transportation Corporation

State: wisconsin

Issuer: Wisconsin Supreme Court

Document:

SUPREME COURT OF WISCONSIN 
 
 
Case No.: 
95-0070 
 
 
Complete Title 
of Case: 
 
State of Wisconsin,   
        Plaintiff-Respondent-Petitioner,  
         v.  
Wisconsin Central Transportation Corporation,   
        Defendant,  
Wisconsin Central Ltd., and Fox Valley &  
Western Ltd.,   
        Defendants-Third Party Plaintiffs-  
        Appellants,  
         v.  
James E. Doyle, Attorney General of the State of  
Wisconsin and State of Wisconsin Department of  
Justice,   
        Third Party Defendants.  
  
 
 
 
ON REVIEW OF A DECISION OF THE COURT OF APPEALS 
Reported at:  200 Wis. 2d 450, 546 N.W.2d 206 
 
 
(Ct. App. 1996) 
 
 
PUBLISHED 
 
 
Opinion Filed: 
May 2, 1997 
Submitted on Briefs: 
 
Oral Argument: 
March 4, 1997 
 
 
Source of APPEAL 
 
COURT: 
Circuit 
 
COUNTY: 
Fond du Lac 
 
JUDGE: 
Steven W. Weinke 
 
 
JUSTICES: 
 
Concurred: 
 
 
Dissented: 
 
 
Not Participating:  
Bablitch, J., w/drew from participation. 
 
 
ATTORNEYS: 
For the plaintiff-respondent-petitioner the cause 
was argued by Thomas L. Dosch, assistant attorney general, with 
whom on the briefs Susan K. Ullman, assistant attorney general, 
and James E. Doyle, attorney general. 
 
 
For the defendants-third party plaintiffs-
appellants there was a brief by Jon P. Axelrod, Joseph A. Ranney 
and DeWitt Ross & Stevens, S.C., Madison and Janet Gilbert, 
general counsel and Wisconsin Central Ltd. And Fox Valley & 
Western Ltd., Rosemont, IL and oral argument by Jon P. Axelrod. 
 
 
Amicus curiae brief was filed by Patrick J. 
Nugent, and Canadian Pacific Legal Services, Minneapolis, MN for 
the Sool Line Railroad Company. 
 
 
Amicus curiae brief was filed by Patrick K. 
Stevens and WI Manufacturer and Commerce, Madison and Richard M. 
Esenberg and Foley & Lardner, Milwaukee for the Wisconsin 
Manufacturers and Commerce. 
 
 
Amicus curiae brief was filed by Marilyn 
Townsend, Madison for the United Transportation Union. 
 
 
 
No. 95-0070 
 
1 
 
NOTICE 
This opinion is subject to further editing 
and modification.  The final version will 
appear in the bound volume of the official 
reports. 
 
 
No. 95-0070 
 
STATE OF WISCONSIN               :        
        
 
 
 
 
IN SUPREME COURT 
 
 
State of Wisconsin, 
  
Plaintiff-Respondent-Petitioner, 
 
 
v. 
 
Wisconsin Central Transportation 
Corporation, 
 
 
Defendant, 
 
Wisconsin Central Ltd., and Fox  
Valley & Western Ltd., 
 
 
Defendants-Third Party 
 
 
Plaintiffs-Appellants, 
 
 
v. 
 
James E. Doyle, Attorney General of 
the State of Wisconsin and the State 
of Wisconsin Department of Justice, 
 
Third Party Defendants. 
 
 
FILED 
 
MAY 2, 1997 
 
Marilyn L. Graves 
Clerk of Supreme Court 
Madison, WI 
 
 
 
 
 
 
REVIEW of a published decision of the Court of Appeals
1 
reversing the order of the Circuit Court for Fond du Lac County, 
Steven W. Weinke, Judge.  Affirmed. 
¶1 
PER CURIAM.   The court is equally divided on whether 
to affirm or reverse the decision of the court of appeals.  
Justice Donald W. Steinmetz, Justice Jon P. Wilcox and Justice 
                     
1  State v. Wisconsin Central Transp. Corp., 200 Wis.2d 450, 
546 N.W.2d 206 (Ct. App. 1996). 
 
 
No. 95-0070 
 
2 
Janine 
P. 
Geske 
would 
affirm; 
Chief 
Justice 
Shirley 
S. 
Abrahamson, Justice Ann Walsh Bradley and Justice N. Patrick 
Crooks would reverse.  Justice William A. Bablitch withdrew from 
participation. 
¶2 
Accordingly, the decision of the court of appeals is 
affirmed.