wisconsin supreme court decision today - CCAP Wisconsin Court Records

In most states, individuals can access public records of others through a number of different channels. Wisconsin public records are available to anyone wishing to obtain information on another individual through the courthouse and the Department of Justice. Information contained in these records is extracted from various government entities located in Wisconsin.

What are Wisconsin Public Records?

Public records consist of arrests, convictions, and cases filed in a court of law against an individual. Wisconsin adopted a law that allows these records to be available for the public to obtain copies and view them.

There are certain records that are not available to the public. This includes cases involving juveniles, expunged or sealed cases, and depending on the circumstances dismissed cases. The Wisconsin public library provides further details about what information is available through public records and background checks. You can also find links on the public library’s website to different agencies that provide information that is available to the public.

Are Wisconsin Public Records Accessible Online?

If you wish to view these records online, you must submit a request through the Department of Justice’s website. There is a link on the site that will direct you to request a background check.

You can also visit the Wisconsin court’s website and access court records online. You can view cases through the unified court system by visiting one of the courthouses in Wisconsin or by using a laptop or desktop and remotely accessing the court records through the website.

Are Wisconsin Public Records Free?

Wisconsin public records can be obtained at no cost by contacting the court or jails. This is not the same as a background check, however, it is information that the public is able to view. To perform a background check on an individual, you would need to pay a fee when completing the online request.

Information that is obtained from the courts may not include all arrests in Wisconsin. You can perform a search for all court cases in Wisconsin but it may not include all the arrests that have occurred. Law enforcement agencies are the only entities that can provide accurate arrest records to the public.

If individuals wish to obtain birth, marriage, or death records that occurred in Wisconsin, they would need to contact the Office of Vital Statistics. There are forms and links on the public library website that you can use to access these types of public records.

Wisconsin Public Records Disclaimer

Information that is obtained through public records or an online background check is subject to verification. There are circumstances where the individual that is being searched and the information that is provided may not be accurate. To verify the accuracy of the information that you have received, you would need to contact the courts or the law enforcement agency that provided the information to you.

It is important to remember that information in public records can be removed or challenged by contacting the appropriate agency. More information can be obtained from the Department of Justice.

How Does the Court System Work?

The Wisconsin court system works by moving court cases through the different bodies of the court system. Before a case can go to the Wisconsin Supreme Court, it must be heard in the Appellate Court(also known as the court of appeals). There are ways that the court of appeals can be overridden and the case will move to the Supreme Court through a process known as direct review.

The court system allows you to file cases, search for cases, Livestream courts, and find forms directly from their website.

Responsibilities of Each Court

Each body of the Wisconsin Court System has different functions and responsibilities. They are divided into different branches that operate and work together to protect the rights of their citizens.

Municipal

Municipal courts are responsible for handling cases involving traffic citations, parking and ordinance, juvenile cases, and drunk driving offenses(first-time). This court will also hear cases regarding disorderly conduct, truancy, animal control violations, trespassing, building code violations, and health code violations.

The largest municipality in Wisconsin is in Milwaukee. There are 229 municipal courts throughout the state with 232 municipal judges upholding the laws of the municipal courts.

Circuit

Trial courts in Wisconsin are known as circuit courts. Circuit courts are responsible for hearing civil and criminal court cases and are divided into branches. Almost every county in the state of Wisconsin has one branch in each county except for a few counties that are paired off and share judges. Out of the 249 judges in the state of Wisconsin, 47 of these judges are used in Milwaukee county.

If a case is lost in circuit court, the party of the case can appeal the decision to the court of appeals. That party also has the right to bypass the court of appeals and file a petition to have the Supreme Court hear the case directly.

Appellate

The Appellate courts or court of appeals are divided into four districts with 16 judges overseeing these districts. The responsibility of the court of appeals is to rule in the favor of one party of the circuit case or present the case to the Supreme Court. The Court of Appeals makes its decision based on the circuit court proceedings and/or oral arguments presented by each party involved in the case.

Supreme

The Supreme Court is the highest level of the Wisconsin Court System as previously mentioned. There are a total of 7 justices that sit on the Supreme court and their term lasts for ten years. The Wisconsin Court System will post decisions or opinions for all court cases on the court system’s website. The Supreme court has the power to decide which cases it will review and has authority over all courts in Wisconsin and attorneys that practice in the state.