wisconsin supreme court opinions - CCAP Wisconsin Court Records

The highest level of appellate courts in the state of Wisconsin is the Wisconsin Supreme Court. Established in 1853, this court is responsible for hearing cases from lower-level courts and regulating the practice of law in Wisconsin. There are times when the court will hear cases that are not heard in other courts.

Powers of the Wisconsin Supreme Court

The authority that this court has aside from regulating the courts and the practice of law, includes bypassing appellate courts and certifying cases presented to the court by the court of appeals. This means that the Wisconsin court of appeals is unable to provide a ruling for a court case because the court believes that the case is regarding a law that should be decided by the Wisconsin supreme court.

Overview of Wisconsin Supreme Court

In Wisconsin, this is known as the last resort court. It is composed of 7 elected justices that serve 10-year terms. The exception is the chief justice, who is elected by justice votes for a 2-year term. The individual elected to the title is able to decline the appointment of chief justice for the court.

For a case to move forward in the court whether it is a petition to bypass the Court of Appeals or to certify a question of the law, it requires 4 justice votes. If it is a petition for review of a case presented by the Appeals court, there is only a requirement of 3 votes to move forward.

The court will hear both sides of the case in what is called an oral argument. This session can last up to an hour because 30 minutes is allotted to each side to present their case before the court. Once the session is complete, the justices will meet to discuss the opinion of the court. This meeting usually takes place the day after hearing the oral arguments. After determining an opinion regarding a case, one of the 7 justices is assigned to write the opinion of the court. This opinion is then published on the court’s website for review by the general public.

Questions About the Wisconsin Supreme Court

There is a directory on the court’s website that lists the various departments of the court and their contact information. This information is available in the event an individual has questions regarding cases reviewed by the court or the process of the court.

The court does participate in the Wisconsin “Justice on Wheels” program where the justices will travel throughout the state to hear court cases. This program gives individuals the opportunity to ask questions about court procedures, and to get a better comprehension of how the court operates.

Contacting the Wisconsin Supreme Court

The Supreme Court of Wisconsin is located in the state’s capitol of Madison. The contact information for the justices and the clerk of the supreme court are listed below:

Justices Office

16 East State Capitol

Madison, WI 53701

Phone: 608-366-1888

Fax: 608-261-8299

Clerk of the court

110 East Main St Ste 215

Madison, WI 53701

Phone: 608-266-1880

Fax: 608-267-0640

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.