October 12, 2026: Youth Plaintiffs File Petition at State Supreme Court to Bypass Court of Appeals

The youth plaintiffs filed a petition asking the Wisconsin Supreme Court to take up their case directly, rather than waiting an estimated 587 days for a decision from the Court of Appeals. The petition argues the circuit court's ruling is unprecedented and, if left uncorrected, could shield a wide range of state laws from judicial review. It asks the Supreme Court to interpret the state’s Constitution and find the youth plaintiffs have protectable constitutional rights at stake in the case and send the case back for proceedings on the merits. 

“I was 17 years old when we filed this case. By the time the Court of Appeals would even hear us, I will be nearly 20. Given that the climate crisis is getting worse each year, that is too slow. Children cannot wait for the courts to catch up to the harm already being done to them by their own government. The Wisconsin Supreme Court can step in now, and we are asking them to,” said lead plaintiff Kaarina Dunn.