A federal judge who made controversial rulings in numerous major cases in the eastern half of Wisconsin has died at the age of 76.
U.S. District Court Judge Rudolph Randa died on Labor Day. The Milwaukee native left the bench to go into semi-retirement in February, after he was diagnosed with cancer.
Randa was appointed to the federal court in 1992 by President George H.W. Bush. His rulings include being the first judge to halt the state’s John Doe investigation targeting the activities of conservative groups during the recall elections, although the ruling was later overturned by an appeal court and the case was sent back to the state court’s system.