Wisconsin became a state in 1848 and this is when the WI court system based its model on the constitution of Wisconsin. The Wisconsin constitution divided the court system into 5 judicial divisions. It wasn’t until 1853 that the Wisconsin Supreme court was established.
About the WI Court System
The court system in Wisconsin is designed to uphold Wisconsin state laws while protecting the constitutional rights of the citizens of Wisconsin. The court is responsible for maintaining court records, filing court cases, conducting court proceedings, and deciding the outcome of the court cases that are filed.
The current unified design of the WI court system was not established until the late 20th century. Prior to the change, the court system was divided into county and circuit courts and each division was responsible for specific cases.
History of WI Court
Although the reorganization of the WI court system was not effective until the 1970s, several changes were implemented beginning in the late 1950s to abolish certain courts that were part of the original structure.
The Wisconsin Constitution established 5 judicial districts and power was divided among the following courts:
- Justices of the Peace
- Supreme Court
- Circuit Courts
- Probate Courts
- Inferior courts and municipal courts determined by the jurisdiction
Each county had separate policies, procedures, and varying types of jurisdiction. In 1959, laws were enacted requiring a unified system for policies and procedures for every county in Wisconsin. This eliminated the uneven distribution of workloads and caseloads in each county. This led to the development of the Administrative Director of Courts which is known as the Director of State Courts today.
WI Court Administrative Division
The administrative division of the courts is maintained by the Director of State Courts. The Director of State Courts performs duties and responsibilities according to the direction of the chief justice and is located in Madison. The director is the lead nonjudicial officer of the court system.
The director of the state courts is responsible for the following:
- Developing the court system’s budget
- Planning and research of the WI court system
- Judicial education
- The court information system
- Circuit level judicial assignments
Other duties are assigned to the director and outlined in Wisconsin SCR Chapter 70.
There are a total of nine Director of State Courts offices throughout the state of Wisconsin. These offices are staffed with district court administrators and district court administrative assistants. The district court administrative staff is responsible for managing the district that it is assigned to.
Division of Director of State Courts Offices
The director of state courts’ offices is divided into different divisions. Each division is responsible for specific functions and duties of the WI court.
The offices include the following:
- Director of state courts
- Consolidated court automation programs
- Medical mediation panels
- Director of court operations
- Office of judicial education
- Office of management services
- Children’s court improvement program
The contact information for the director of state courts office is:
Honorable Randy R. Koschnick Director
16E Capitol Bldg
PO Box 1688
Madison, Wisconsin 53701
Phone: 608-266-6828
Fax: 608-267-0980
