Office of Governor Tony Evers *FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:* July 9, 2025 Contact: [email protected]    *Gov. Evers Appoints Emily Nolan-Plutchak to the Wood County Circuit Court*   MADISON — Gov. Tony Evers announced today his appointment of Emily Nolan-Plutchak to the Wood County Circuit Court – Branch 3. The appointment will fill the vacancy being created by Judge Todd P. Wolf’s retirement. Nolan-Plutchak will complete a term ending July 31, 2026.

“Emily Nolan-Plutchak brings integrity, dedication to her community, and a commitment to improving the criminal justice system to the bench,” said Gov. Evers. “With nearly two decades of experience working in Wood County and the surrounding area, she has shown her commitment to this community and will be an excellent judge for the folks of Wood County.”

Nolan-Plutchak began her career as a public defender in Missouri, and after practicing for a year, she moved to central Wisconsin in 2007. Since then, for nearly two decades, she has been a public defender in Wood, Adams, and Portage Counties and is currently the local attorney manager in the Wisconsin Rapids office of the Wisconsin State Public Defender. As an assistant state public defender, she has represented indigent clients in misdemeanor, felony, revocation, and juvenile cases. As the local attorney manager, she manages the public defender caseload in Wood and Adams Counties, including private bar appointments. Nolan-Plutchak has been a team member on the Wood County Adult Drug Treatment Court since 2007. Additionally, she has been active on the local, state, and national levels in developing and defining best practices for drug treatment courts. 

“Attorney Nolan-Plutchak will make a very fine Judge and will serve Wood County well,” said Wood County Sheriff Shawn Becker. “As an attorney, she has done an excellent job of creating collaborative working relationships to find common ground and to focus on what makes our communities safer. She has earned my trust because of her integrity, her legal ability, her deep involvement in Wood County, and the fact that she is an honest, straightforward individual who treats everyone respectfully.”

Nolan-Plutchak is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin–Madison and Marquette University Law School. She has been active in numerous community and professional organizations, including serving as a board member for Three Bridges Recovery and as a former president of the Wisconsin Association of Treatment Court Professionals. She will be the first woman to serve as a circuit court judge in Wood County.

“It is an honor to serve all the people of Wood County as a judge,” said Nolan-Plutchak. “I thank Governor Evers for his trust and confidence. My commitment to the residents of this beautiful county is straightforward: I will make decisions based on the facts and the law, I will treat all who come before me with respect, I will work collaboratively to strengthen and improve the criminal justice system, and I will serve with humility and deep appreciation for the rule of law.”

A photo of Nolan-Plutchak is available here [ [link removed] ].   An online version of this release is available here [ [link removed] ]. ###

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