Chief Storck pleased with addition of judge

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For more than 45 years, the Dodge County Circuit Court has gotten by with three judges, but a state courts review of the county’s 2007 caseload indicates it needs a little more than five judges.

Last month, the circuit court in Juneau got a little help shouldering the caseload as a fourth judge joined the ranks.

Chief Judge John R. Storck said there have been some challenges finding adequate time to deal with some cases. The creation of Branch 4 should take some of the pressure off the other three branches.

“I hope it means we won’t feel like we’re on an assembly line,” Storck said.

Attorney Cassel Villarreal of Derr & Villarreal LLC said it’s too early to see a direct benefit yet, but she is optimistic that cases will move quicker.

“I’ve had cases that have probably taken longer than they should have,” Villarreal said.

Two New Judges

With the retirement of veteran Branch 1 Judge Daniel W. Klossner this year, Dodge County actually has two new judges. In April, attorney Brian A. Pfitzinger was elected to the Branch 1 bench and District Attorney Steven G. Bauer ran unopposed for the newly created Branch 4.

In an effort to smooth the transition, Judge Pfitzinger filled Klossner’s position beginning June 13. Judge Bauer joined the bench Aug. 1.

With two new judges on the bench, there are a number of cases that they cannot take due to potential conflicts of interest, Clerk of Courts Lynn Hron noted. Since Bauer was district attorney district attorney between 2003 and 2008, he is not taking any criminal cases that his office dealt with during that time. Similarly, Pfitzinger is not handling any cases that were in his firm, Elbert & Pfitzinger Ltd.

Hron said they began building a calendar for Bauer using older divorce and paternity cases. Pfitzinger took over the cases from Klossner’s calendar, except those involving his firm.

A report from Storck shows that 9,383 cases were filed in 2007, including 470 felonies, 1,722 criminal traffic and misdemeanors, 2,517 contested traffic and forfeiture cases, and 2,040 small claims.

Given the caseload, it’s not surprising that a universal rule for the judges is that attorneys should be on time for court. Both the judges and attorneys in Dodge County indicated that court calendars have tight schedules from the time the courts open until they close.

“So we really appreciate people being on time,” said Judge Andrew P. Bissonnette, who has been on the bench for 19 years. “If they are 15 minutes or a half hour late, all of the sudden all the other hearings we have are late because we don’t have a lot of cushion between them.”

Modern Courthouse

Fortunately, for attorneys who do have court appearances, the courthouse has many features that will help them serve clients. Built in 2000 with an eye toward the future, the building has plenty of space to meet with clients and courtrooms provide technology to help enhance communication among attorneys, judges and juries. It also connects to the jail allowing for the secure transfer of criminal defendants.

Among the most striking features are the 16 client conference rooms. Finding a private place to discuss confidential issues with clients is not a problem, according to Michael Devitt of Quincy, Becker, Schuessler & Chase S.C. He sees that as a huge benefit.

“Just about every time I go to court with a client, we end up in one of those rooms,” Devitt said, noting that’s much better than pulling clients into a corner the way he has to in many courthouses.

Tech Options

The courthouse is equipped with wireless Internet access, which Devitt said is particularly helpful when he is stuck there between court appearances.

“I can connect to our server at the office and still get work done,” Devitt said.

Judge Storck is particularly proud of the 12-foot screens in each courtroom, that allow attorneys and judges to easily display pictures, slides, x-rays or other documents to jurors and everyone in the room. The courthouse has several Elmo document cameras that can be used to display information on the screen; however, attorneys wishing to use them should let the court know ahead of time to ensure their availability.

Attorneys also can bring PowerPoint presentations on their computers and display them on the screen.

“It has made trials much more efficient,” Storck said.

Judges can connect their computers to the display monitor, too. Storck said he projects jury instructions on the large screen to help jurors follow along, eliminating the problem that used to arise with handouts where a juror might be on page 20 while he was explaining something on page 2.

The courtrooms also are equipped with video cameras allowing for initial appearances from the jail. The video conferencing capability also has been handy and cost-effective allowing for remote appearances by witnesses. That camera system is in the process of being updated to meet the new Supreme Court guidelines.

Another practice that has proven beneficial is the drafting of orders and documents in court. The clerks are able to print them out right in the courtroom and hand them out to parties before they leave.

Villarreal said being able to watch court commissioners draft orders on screen has alleviated potential problems.

“You can see everything as it’s being done,” she said. “That’s helpful because then you don’t have the argument when the order comes out of court as to whether it’s right or not.”

Finally, don’t get confused about where a client’s case is taking place. Dodge County cases are heard at the courthouse in Juneau — not to be mistaken with Juneau County cases, which are heard in the courthouse in Mauston.

“Believe it or not, there are attorneys who get confused and they go to Juneau County,” Bauer said. “That has happened more than once; we’ve had attorneys call in and say ‘I’ve made a big mistake and I’m in Juneau County.’”

The courthouses are 87 miles apart and it takes about one hour and 45 minutes to drive between the two of them.