---
title: "James Sickel | KnowJudges"
canonical: "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/james-sickel-9643"
page_type: "judge_profile"
updated: "2026-10-07"
---

# James Sickel

U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin · Magistrate

## Profile

- Court: U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin
- State: Wisconsin
- Role: Magistrate
- Service status: former
- Last verified: 2026-06-30

## Summary

Official statewide and applicable court procedural guidance applies to this judge.

## Biography

### Professional career

- James R. Sickel was a long‐serving part‐time United States Magistrate Judge for the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, appointed in 1975 and retiring on December 8, 2024
- Notable fact: His tenure spanned the entire period of the Eastern District’s magistrate judge system, making him one of the most enduring judges in the court’s history

### Education

- Marquette University Law School — J.D. (1974)
- Marquette University — B.A. (1967)

### Additional information

- Magistrate, District Court, E.D. Wisconsin, 1975-present
- Retirement: Resigned effective December 8, 2024, after which the court’s Article III judges unanimously approved a merit‐selection process to fill the vacancy.
- Appointment: Became a part‐time federal magistrate judge in 1975, serving for nearly 50 years.
- As a magistrate judge, Sickel handled certain federal cases under 28 U.S.C..631 et seq., including preliminary hearings, motions, and some trials, as authorized by the Judicial Conference of the United States.

## Before you appear

- Read the judge-specific standing order first when one is listed.
- Check the docket and case orders for requirements that supersede broader guidance.
- Confirm current remote-access and courtroom technology arrangements before the proceeding.

## Courtroom Rules

### camera notice

Scope: statewide

Wisconsin SCR 61 asks media to give the trial judge advance notice before bringing cameras or recording equipment into the courtroom.

Evidence excerpt: the trial judge shall be given notice, at least 3 days in advance

[Wisconsin SCR Chapter 61: Electronic Media and Still Photography Coverage of Judicial Proceedings](https://www.wicourts.gov/sc/scrule/DisplayDocument.html?content=html&seqNo=1099)
Source checked: 2026-07-26

### courtroom equipment control

Scope: statewide

Wisconsin SCR 61 leaves courtroom equipment placement, lighting, and use subject to trial-judge control.

Evidence excerpt: Only equipment approved by the trial judge in advance of the court proceeding may be used

[Wisconsin SCR Chapter 61: Electronic Media and Still Photography Coverage of Judicial Proceedings](https://www.wicourts.gov/sc/scrule/DisplayDocument.html?content=html&seqNo=1099)
Source checked: 2026-07-26

### remote hearing notice

Scope: statewide

Wisconsin's court system instructs parties that courts will notify them when a hearing is remote and provide joining instructions.

Evidence excerpt: The court will send you instructions on how to join your remote hearing by video or by phone.

[Wisconsin Court System: Zoom hearing resources](https://www.wicourts.gov/courts/zoom.htm)
Source checked: 2026-07-26

### remote hearing technology

Scope: statewide

Wisconsin remote-hearing guidance tells participants to contact the clerk promptly if they lack reliable internet or phone access.

Evidence excerpt: Contact the clerk of circuit court as soon as possible.

[Wisconsin Court System: Zoom hearing resources](https://www.wicourts.gov/courts/zoom.htm)
Source checked: 2026-07-26


## Sources

- [Official profile](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/9643/james-sickel/)
- [Official roster](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/9643/james-sickel/)
- [U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin current judicial profile](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/9643/james-sickel/)
- [Wisconsin SCR Chapter 61: Electronic Media and Still Photography Coverage of Judicial Proceedings](https://www.wicourts.gov/sc/scrule/DisplayDocument.html?content=html&seqNo=1099)
- [Wisconsin Court System: Zoom hearing resources](https://www.wicourts.gov/courts/zoom.htm)
- [CourtListener judicial biographical directory](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/9643/james-sickel/)
- [General Orders](https://www.wied.uscourts.gov/gen-orders)
- [CourtListener judicial biographical directory](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/9643/james-sickel/)

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