Judge John P. Zakowski: Professional Background and Legal Expertise

Brown County Circuit Court, Department 6

Appointed By: Gov. Scott K. Walker

Biography

The Hon. John P. Zakowski is a judge for the Brown County Circuit Court of Wisconsin. He was appointed to the bench by former Governor Scott Walker on December 21, 2011.

Prior to his appointment, Zakowski was the District Attorney for Brown County, a position to which he was named in 1986. Before that, he spent time as an associate at Nelson & Schmelling, a law firm located in Green Bay.

Zakowski earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1979. He then completed a J.D. at the University of Wisconsin Law School in 1983. He is admitted to practice in Wisconsin (1983) and the United States District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin (1983).

He is a recipient of the E. Michael McCann Prosecutor of the Year Award (2002).

Recent Cases by Hon. John P. Zakowski

State of Wisconsin vs. Larobert William Lee

On October 23, 2026 a criminal case was filed in the jurisdiction of Brown County. Judge John P. Zakowski presiding.

Filed

Oct 23, 2026

Status

Active

Judge

Hon. John P. Zakowski 👉 Discover key insights by exploring more analytics for John P. Zakowski

Court

Brown County

County

Brown County, WI

Case #

(Subscribe to View)

Court Category

Criminal

Practice Area

Criminal

Matter Type

General Criminal

Case Last Refreshed

Oct 24, 2026

Freedom Mortgage Corporation vs. Larry J. Lawyer et al

On October 22, 2026 a civil case was filed in the jurisdiction of Brown County. Judge John P. Zakowski presiding.

Filed

Oct 22, 2026

Status

Active

Judge

Hon. John P. Zakowski 👉 Discover key insights by exploring more analytics for John P. Zakowski

Court

Brown County

County

Brown County, WI

Case #

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Court Category

Civil

Practice Area

Property

Matter Type

Foreclosure

Case Last Refreshed

Oct 23, 2026

Capital Credit Union vs. Jamie Hoogland

On October 21, 2026 a civil case was filed in the jurisdiction of Brown County. Judge John P. Zakowski presiding.

Filed

Oct 21, 2026

Status

Active

Judge

Hon. John P. Zakowski 👉 Discover key insights by exploring more analytics for John P. Zakowski

Court

Brown County

County

Brown County, WI

Case #

(Subscribe to View)

Court Category

Civil

Practice Area

Creditor

Matter Type

Consumer Debt

Case Last Refreshed

Oct 22, 2026

State of Wisconsin vs. Brittany Ann Carlson

On October 21, 2026 a criminal case was filed in the jurisdiction of Brown County. Judge John P. Zakowski presiding.

Filed

Oct 21, 2026

Status

Active

Judge

Hon. John P. Zakowski 👉 Discover key insights by exploring more analytics for John P. Zakowski

Court

Brown County

County

Brown County, WI

Case #

(Subscribe to View)

Court Category

Criminal

Practice Area

Criminal

Matter Type

General Criminal

Case Last Refreshed

Oct 22, 2026

State of Wisconsin vs. Trace Jonathan Neely

On October 20, 2026 a criminal case was filed in the jurisdiction of Brown County. Judge John P. Zakowski presiding.

Filed

Oct 20, 2026

Status

Active

Judge

Hon. John P. Zakowski 👉 Discover key insights by exploring more analytics for John P. Zakowski

Court

Brown County

County

Brown County, WI

Case #

(Subscribe to View)

Court Category

Criminal

Practice Area

Criminal

Matter Type

General Criminal

Case Last Refreshed

Oct 21, 2026

State of Wisconsin vs. Cassandra Leigh Olson

On October 20, 2026 a criminal case was filed in the jurisdiction of Brown County. Judge John P. Zakowski presiding.

Filed

Oct 20, 2026

Status

Active

Judge

Hon. John P. Zakowski 👉 Discover key insights by exploring more analytics for John P. Zakowski

Court

Brown County

County

Brown County, WI

Case #

(Subscribe to View)

Court Category

Criminal

Practice Area

Criminal

Matter Type

General Criminal

Case Last Refreshed

Oct 21, 2026

Voluntary Amortization of Debts of Michael Baenen

On October 20, 2026 a civil case was filed in the jurisdiction of Brown County. Judge John P. Zakowski presiding.

Filed

Oct 20, 2026

Status

Active

Judge

Hon. John P. Zakowski 👉 Discover key insights by exploring more analytics for John P. Zakowski

Court

Brown County

County

Brown County, WI

Case #

(Subscribe to View)

Court Category

Civil

Practice Area

Creditor

Matter Type

Judgment Enforcement

Case Last Refreshed

Oct 21, 2026

DNF Associates, LLC vs. CHELSEA SERVIN

On October 19, 2026 a civil case was filed in the jurisdiction of Brown County. Judge John P. Zakowski presiding.

Filed

Oct 19, 2026

Status

Active

Judge

Hon. John P. Zakowski 👉 Discover key insights by exploring more analytics for John P. Zakowski

Court

Brown County

County

Brown County, WI

Case #

(Subscribe to View)

Court Category

Civil

Practice Area

Creditor

Matter Type

Consumer Debt

Case Last Refreshed

Oct 20, 2026

State of Wisconsin vs. Aidan Harold Dennis Paul

On October 19, 2026 a criminal case was filed in the jurisdiction of Brown County. Judge John P. Zakowski presiding.

Filed

Oct 19, 2026

Status

Active

Judge

Hon. John P. Zakowski 👉 Discover key insights by exploring more analytics for John P. Zakowski

Court

Brown County

County

Brown County, WI

Case #

(Subscribe to View)

Court Category

Criminal

Practice Area

Criminal

Matter Type

General Criminal

Case Last Refreshed

Oct 20, 2026

State of Wisconsin vs. Obedi Kashindi

On October 19, 2026 a criminal case was filed in the jurisdiction of Brown County. Judge John P. Zakowski presiding.

Filed

Oct 19, 2026

Status

Active

Judge

Hon. John P. Zakowski 👉 Discover key insights by exploring more analytics for John P. Zakowski

Court

Brown County

County

Brown County, WI

Case #

(Subscribe to View)

Court Category

Criminal

Practice Area

Criminal

Matter Type

General Criminal

Case Last Refreshed

Oct 20, 2026

State of Wisconsin vs. Denis Omar Gudiel-Garcia

On October 12, 2026 a criminal traffic case was filed in the jurisdiction of Brown County. Judge John P. Zakowski presiding.

Filed

Oct 12, 2026

Status

Active

Judge

Hon. John P. Zakowski 👉 Discover key insights by exploring more analytics for John P. Zakowski

Court

Brown County

County

Brown County, WI

Case #

(Subscribe to View)

Court Category

Criminal Traffic

Practice Area

Criminal

Matter Type

General Criminal

Case Last Refreshed

Oct 13, 2026

State of Wisconsin vs. Dalton Patrick Siekert

On October 12, 2026 a criminal case was filed in the jurisdiction of Brown County. Judge John P. Zakowski presiding.

Filed

Oct 12, 2026

Status

Active

Judge

Hon. John P. Zakowski 👉 Discover key insights by exploring more analytics for John P. Zakowski

Court

Brown County

County

Brown County, WI

Case #

(Subscribe to View)

Court Category

Criminal

Practice Area

Criminal

Matter Type

General Criminal

Case Last Refreshed

Oct 13, 2026

State of Wisconsin vs. Loni Michelle Tepiew

On October 6, 2026 a criminal case was filed in the jurisdiction of Brown County. Judge John P. Zakowski presiding.

Filed

Oct 06, 2026

Status

Active

Judge

Hon. John P. Zakowski 👉 Discover key insights by exploring more analytics for John P. Zakowski

Court

Brown County

County

Brown County, WI

Case #

(Subscribe to View)

Court Category

Criminal

Practice Area

Criminal

Matter Type

General Criminal

Case Last Refreshed

Oct 07, 2026

In Re: the Name Change of Katherine Louise Zastrow

On September 23, 2026 a civil case was filed in the jurisdiction of Brown County. Judge John P. Zakowski presiding.

Filed

Sep 23, 2026

Status

Active

Judge

Hon. John P. Zakowski 👉 Discover key insights by exploring more analytics for John P. Zakowski

Court

Brown County

County

Brown County, WI

Case #

(Subscribe to View)

Court Category

Civil

Practice Area

Family

Matter Type

Name Change

Case Last Refreshed

Sep 24, 2026

State of Wisconsin vs. Najai Taladine Robinson Sr

On September 18, 2026 a criminal traffic case was filed in the jurisdiction of Brown County. Judge John P. Zakowski presiding.

Filed

Sep 18, 2026

Status

Active

Judge

Hon. John P. Zakowski 👉 Discover key insights by exploring more analytics for John P. Zakowski

Court

Brown County

County

Brown County, WI

Case #

(Subscribe to View)

Court Category

Criminal Traffic

Practice Area

Criminal

Matter Type

General Criminal

Case Last Refreshed

Sep 19, 2026

State of Wisconsin vs. Jason Lee Carr

On September 18, 2026 a criminal traffic case was filed in the jurisdiction of Brown County. Judge John P. Zakowski presiding.

Filed

Sep 18, 2026

Status

Active

Judge

Hon. John P. Zakowski 👉 Discover key insights by exploring more analytics for John P. Zakowski

Court

Brown County

County

Brown County, WI

Case #

(Subscribe to View)

Court Category

Criminal Traffic

Practice Area

Criminal

Matter Type

General Criminal

Case Last Refreshed

Sep 19, 2026

State of Wisconsin vs. Jody Charles Kapla

On September 18, 2026 a criminal traffic case was filed in the jurisdiction of Brown County. Judge John P. Zakowski presiding.

Filed

Sep 18, 2026

Status

Active

Judge

Hon. John P. Zakowski 👉 Discover key insights by exploring more analytics for John P. Zakowski

Court

Brown County

County

Brown County, WI

Case #

(Subscribe to View)

Court Category

Criminal Traffic

Practice Area

Criminal

Matter Type

General Criminal

Case Last Refreshed

Sep 19, 2026

State of Wisconsin vs. Miguel Angel Cortes

On September 18, 2026 a criminal traffic case was filed in the jurisdiction of Brown County. Judge John P. Zakowski presiding.

Filed

Sep 18, 2026

Status

Active

Judge

Hon. John P. Zakowski 👉 Discover key insights by exploring more analytics for John P. Zakowski

Court

Brown County

County

Brown County, WI

Case #

(Subscribe to View)

Court Category

Criminal Traffic

Practice Area

Criminal

Matter Type

General Criminal

Case Last Refreshed

Sep 19, 2026

State of Wisconsin vs. Jamarion Darrell Ware

On September 16, 2026 a criminal case was filed in the jurisdiction of Brown County. Judge John P. Zakowski presiding.

Filed

Sep 16, 2026

Status

Active

Judge

Hon. John P. Zakowski 👉 Discover key insights by exploring more analytics for John P. Zakowski

Court

Brown County

County

Brown County, WI

Case #

(Subscribe to View)

Court Category

Criminal

Practice Area

Criminal

Matter Type

General Criminal

Case Last Refreshed

Sep 17, 2026

State of Wisconsin vs. Martin Antonio Gutierrez

On September 11, 2026 a criminal case was filed in the jurisdiction of Brown County. Judge John P. Zakowski presiding.

Filed

Sep 11, 2026

Status

Active

Judge

Hon. John P. Zakowski 👉 Discover key insights by exploring more analytics for John P. Zakowski

Court

Brown County

County

Brown County, WI

Case #

(Subscribe to View)

Court Category

Criminal

Practice Area

Criminal

Matter Type

General Criminal

Case Last Refreshed

Sep 12, 2026

In Re: the Name Change of Cynthia Contreras

On September 11, 2026 a civil case was filed in the jurisdiction of Brown County. Judge John P. Zakowski presiding.

Filed

Sep 11, 2026

Status

Active

Judge

Hon. John P. Zakowski 👉 Discover key insights by exploring more analytics for John P. Zakowski

Court

Brown County

County

Brown County, WI

Case #

(Subscribe to View)

Court Category

Civil

Practice Area

Family

Matter Type

Name Change

Case Last Refreshed

Sep 12, 2026

State of Wisconsin vs. Kahliah Desiree Mcknight

On September 11, 2026 a criminal case was filed in the jurisdiction of Brown County. Judge John P. Zakowski presiding.

Filed

Sep 11, 2026

Status

Active

Judge

Hon. John P. Zakowski 👉 Discover key insights by exploring more analytics for John P. Zakowski

Court

Brown County

County

Brown County, WI

Case #

(Subscribe to View)

Court Category

Criminal

Practice Area

Criminal

Matter Type

General Criminal

Case Last Refreshed

Sep 12, 2026

In Re: the Name Change of Louis Allen Littleberry

On September 10, 2026 a civil case was filed in the jurisdiction of Brown County. Judge John P. Zakowski presiding.

Filed

Sep 10, 2026

Status

Active

Judge

Hon. John P. Zakowski 👉 Discover key insights by exploring more analytics for John P. Zakowski

Court

Brown County

County

Brown County, WI

Case #

(Subscribe to View)

Court Category

Civil

Practice Area

Family

Matter Type

Name Change

Case Last Refreshed

Sep 11, 2026

State vs. Anthony F Harris

On September 10, 2026 a traffic forfeiture case was filed in the jurisdiction of Brown County. Judge John P. Zakowski presiding.

Filed

Sep 10, 2026

Status

Active

Judge

Hon. John P. Zakowski 👉 Discover key insights by exploring more analytics for John P. Zakowski

Court

Brown County

County

Brown County, WI

Case #

(Subscribe to View)

Court Category

Traffic Forfeiture

Practice Area

Criminal

Matter Type

Forfeiture

Case Last Refreshed

Sep 11, 2026

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About

John P. Zakowski
Current Appointment Brown County Circuit Court, Department 6	Brown County Circuit Court, Department 6
Election/Appointment 2012 - Re-election 2018 - Re-election	2012 - Re-election 2018 - Re-election
Education J.D., University of Wisconsin Law School - 1983 Bachelor's degree, University of Wisconsin, Madison - 1979	J.D., University of Wisconsin Law School - 1983 Bachelor's degree, University of Wisconsin, Madison - 1979

Court Info

Court Info
Current Court:	WI - Brown County Circuit Court
Clerk phone:	+1 (920) 448-4169
Court Reporter:	+1 (920) 448-4132
Judicial Assistant:	+1 (920) 448-4120

Career History

Career History
Role	Employer	Where
Judge	Brown County Circuit Court	Brown County, Wisconsin
District Attorney	Office of the District Attorney	Brown County, Wisconsin
Associate	Nelson & Schmelling	Brown County, Wisconsin

Articles About John P. Zakowski:

Ballotpedia: John P. Zakowski

Martindale: Atty. John P. Zakowski

Courtroom Rules

Brown County Circuit Court - Local Rules

Wisconsin Court System Forms

Wisconsin Court System Rules

Law Firms

Judge John P. Zakowski: Professional Background and Legal Expertise

Biography

Recent Cases by Hon. John P. Zakowski

About

Court Info

Career History

Articles About John P. Zakowski:

Courtroom Rules