Gov. Tony Evers announced on Thursday afternoon his appointment of Toni L. Young to the Racine County Circuit Court – Branch 3. The appointment fills the vacancy created by Judge Maureen M. Martinez’s resignation, effective Nov. 17. Young will complete a term ending July 31, 2024.
“Toni Young is a well-respected attorney with broad experience who is committed to seeking justice for everyone who enters her courtroom,” said Gov. Evers in a statement. “She will be an excellent judge for the people of Racine County.”
Young is a Racine native and is a graduate of Grambling State University and Western Michigan University Cooley Law School. Young is currently the local attorney manager for the Wisconsin State Public Defender’s Office in Janesville.
“To say that I am honored that Governor Evers has selected me for the Racine County Circuit Court judicial appointment does little to describe the sentiment of gratitude that I feel,” said Young in a release. “I plan to exemplify my gratefulness through my work as a judge by extending equal access to my courtroom without consideration for anything other than justice. I endeavor to achieve positive transformation; that is my composition and configuration, both personally and professionally. During this appointment and beyond, I look forward to working with the Racine County Circuit Court judges, court staff, and citizens of Racine County.”
Young began her legal career as a contract analyst for Manpower in Milwaukee in 2006, according to a press release from the governor’s office. In 2009, she opened Balancing the Scales of Justice LLC, a solo legal practice based in Racine focused on criminal and juvenile defense work, as well as family law and bankruptcy matters. She then became a trial attorney for the public defender’s office in Kenosha County from 2016 to 2020. In 2020, she began taking public defender private bar appointments and represented clients in civil matters, most notably being retained by Racine County judges as a guardian ad litem. In May 2021, she returned to the Wisconsin State Public Defender’s Office and was promoted to her current position in June of this year.
Young is a member of Epsilon Kappa Omega, a Milwaukee chapter of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. In addition to being a member of numerous professional organizations, she was recognized in 2020 by the Wisconsin Law Journal as a Leader in the Law.
