Several incorrect holiday dates listed on district court website

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Anyone rushing to file a case or pay a ticket at the Ashland, Bayfield or Vilas county courthouses in the next few days might be out of luck.

As of Wednesday afternoon, the holiday court calendar posted on the Wisconsin Court’s website incorrectly lists the three counties’ courts as open Dec. 26, a state holiday.

Ashland and Bayfield courts are listed as closed Dec. 22, which is incorrect, and Vilas County is listed as open Dec. 23, which also is incorrect. County clerks in both Ashland and Bayfield said their offices are open Dec. 22 and closed Dec. 23 and Dec. 26. Vilas County Clerk of Court Jean Numrich confirmed that county’s court is closed Dec. 23.

The errors came as a shock to local clerks of court who acknowledged the calendar could mislead the public.

“I take full responsibility for Bayfield County,” Clerk of Courts Kay Cederberg said. “We’re supposed to correct the schedule and send it back to the District Court administrator, but I must have been goofy that day.”

Katie Colgrove, clerk of courts in Bayfield County, said she contacted District 10 Court Administrator Scott Johnson after the inconsistency was brought to her attention.

“An error was made,” Colgrove said. “At the time the information was collected from the counties, they may not have determined whether they might be open or closed.”

Johnson said the scheduling snafu could have occurred because county court operations are closed Dec. 26, but other county offices may still be open because the day is only a state holiday.

Dec. 22 can be taken as a county holiday for Christmas Eve, he said, which is why the courts in Ashland and Bayfield may appear as closed those days.

Ashland County Clerk Patricia Somppi said only the county’s jail is open Dec. 23 and Dec. 26; the courts are closed.

Vilas County’s Numrich said the errors were puzzling because clerks are obligated to send in holiday schedules at the start of each year.

She said somewhere along the line, districts could have checked with each county to make sure the information was accurate before posting it on the website.

Lynn Grych, administrative assistant in District 9, which includes Vilas County, traced the error back to a revised calendar which never made it to the Director of State Courts office in Madison. She said her office received the incorrect date listings from Vilas County on Jan. 6 and then received an updated version Jan. 10, which indicated the county’s court would be closed Dec. 23 and Dec. 26.

“I’m not sure if I failed to send it,” Grych said. “Or if Madison failed to post the revisions. Either way, it is an error.”

While the mistakes have not resulted in complaints to the court, Numrich said, there is an obligation to make sure the information being presented is accurate.

“I assume that could be confusing,” she said. “I am going to make sure we get it fixed and check on next year’s dates.”