The circuit court Wisconsin court program maintains court cases filed in each county in the state. There are different types of court cases filed including criminal, civil, and traffic court cases. The circuit court Wisconsin court program provides access to these court records per the Wisconsin open records law.
Circuit Court Wisconsin Operations
The circuit court is divided into different branches and headed by a chief judge. The courts are responsible for hearing criminal and civil cases brought in front of the courts while providing a decision where one party is favored over the other.
Each county has one circuit court with one judge that presides over court cases in that county. Milwaukee is a large county and files over 150,000 court cases per year and they have 47 judges for its county.
If an individual appears in front of a circuit court Wisconsin judge for a court case and the case is ruled in favor of the other party, an appeal can be filed. The appeal has to be petitioned before the Court of Appeals or it can be taken to the supreme court for direct review. There are 16 judges and four districts in the court of appeals. 4 of these judges must agree on voting in favor of one party for the case to move forward using a petition for bypass and direct review. If the case is one that involves the questioning of law, the case will be sent to the Supreme court using the review petition.
Overview of Circuit Court Wisconsin
The circuit court in the state of Wisconsin has been around for over a century. The court is considered to be a trial court where cases are heard and jury trials are held. The chief judge of the circuit court in each district is appointed to the position by the supreme court.
The court is considered to be the original jurisdiction for cases filed in Wisconsin. Clerks of the circuit court work with the judges and are responsible for maintaining the management and administration duties for the district. The court system is designed to protect the rights of individuals in each county in accordance with the Wisconsin state law.
Other Information
Despite having a consolidated court access program in Wisconsin. Each county is responsible for its own cases filed in the courts. This means that the maintenance and upkeep of the court records are performed by the circuit court clerks in that county.
Cases in circuit court are able to be filed in person or through electronic filing. The circuit court Wisconsin online portal has a link to file court cases electronically. There are certain restrictions that must be complied with and this information can be found on the web portal under the electronic filing tab.
There are standard forms that are used when dealing with circuit court matters. These forms can be found on the web portal. As always, if you need further assistance that goes beyond the portal, contact the clerk of courts for assistance.