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| Wisconsin Court Records- Listed below is contact information and/or links to websites containing resources to help in a search for Wisconsin court records. | |||
| Wisconsin Court Records and Court Systems - by State and County | |||
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Wisconsin’s court system has four primary divisions employing more than 300 judges to dispense justice and civil case decision-making across the state. Wisconsin Supreme Court The Wisconsin Supreme Court is composed of seven justices convening in the state capital city of Madison. The justices are elected statewide to serve 10-year terms. The current chief justice is Shirley S. Abrahamson. The court has appellate jurisdiction over all Wisconsin courts, and the discretion to determine which appeals it will agree to hear. The Supreme Court also has original jurisdiction in certain cases, if they have not already been heard in a lower court. The court considers about 1,000 petitions annually and accepts between 100 and 120. In addition to its case review and decision functions, the court is also the administrative and regulatory authority over all Wisconsin courts and the practice of law within the state. The Supreme Court’s pending cases, details about those cases, and published opinions are accessible online. Wisconsin Court of Appeals Created in 1978, the Court of Appeals is the state’s intermediate appellate court. It is composed of 16 judges from four districts headquartered in Milwaukee, Waukesha, Wausau and Madison. The Wisconsin Supreme Court appoints a chief judge for the Court of Appeals; presently that person is Thomas Cane. The chief judge handles administrative matters for the entire Court of Appeals while continuing to participate fully in the deciding of cases. His term lasts for three years. Each of the four districts also has its own presiding judge, appointed by the chief judge. Presiding judges take on additional management duties for two-year terms. Like most intermediate appellate courts with a high volume of cases (more than 1,000 annually), the primary function of the Court of Appeals is to correct errors that might have occurred at the Circuit Court level. The published opinions of the Court of Appeals are binding precedent unless and until overruled by the Supreme Court. The court generally sits in three-judge panels to consider appeals. But some cases are decided by a single judge. They include small claims, municipal ordinance violations, traffic regulation violations, and mental health, juvenile, contempt or misdemeanor cases. Wisconsin Circuit Courts The state of Wisconsin’s trial courts are in the Circuit Court system. As of mid-2007, there are 241 circuit court judges in the state. The circuit courts are divided into branches with at least one branch operating in every county but six. Those counties – Buffalo and Pepin, Florence and Forest, Shawano and Menominee -- are paired off as listed and share judges. The first pair has a single judge who travels between courthouses, and Menominee is a federal reservation and both judges for the circuit are located in Shawano. Of the remaining circuits, 27 have a single judge and the largest circuit is Milwaukee County with 47 judges. The state’s 72 counties are grouped into 10 judicial administrative districts. In each there is a chief judge appointed by the Supreme Court. The chief judge may serve up to three consecutive two-year terms, and supervises administration of courts in the district. Circuit courts are funded jointly by the state and the counties. State funds pay the salaries of judges, court reporters and reserve judges. The state also funds travel and training for judges. The counties bear all other operational costs except those enumerated by statute (including guardians ad litem, court-appointed witnesses, interpreters and jurors). Circuit Court cases are searchable online. Wisconsin Municipal Courts As of 2006, there are 244 municipal courts and 246 municipal judges in Wisconsin. Milwaukee has the largest municipal court, with three full-time judges and three part-time court commissioners handling more than 240,000 cases per year. Most municipal court cases involve traffic and local ordinance violations, including first-time drunk-driving offenses. Juvenile matters such as truancy, underage drinking, drug offenses and curfew violations have become a large part of the municipal court caseload in the last few years.
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| Wisconsin Courts Online - Access Court Records | |||
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United States Bankruptcy Court - Eastern District of Wisconsin United States Bankruptcy Court - Western District of Wisconsin United States District Court - Western District of Wisconsin United States District Court - Eastern District of Wisconsin Wisconsin Judiciary - Pro Se Self-Help Center for individuals without a lawyer and who are self-representing in court. Wisconsin Circuit Court Access - Search the Simple Case Search tool by party name, birth date, business name or case number. Wisconsin Supreme Court - Supreme Court Information including statutes and operating procedures. State Bar of Wisconsin - Search Wisconsin Court of Appeals Opinions Wisconsin Supreme Court and Court of Appeals - Access public records provided by the Wisconsin Supreme Court and the Wisconsin Court of Appeals. Wisconsin Law Library - The Wisconsin State Library offers forms for downloading for individuals who are filing their own issues before the court. |
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| Wisconsin County Courthouse Clerks - Addresses and Phone numbers | |||
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