Inger keeps courts running virtually, fights for needy amid pandemic

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Even in normal situations, Alma Inger’s workload is intense.

Inger, deputy court clerk for the Milwaukee County Circuit Court’s Branch 21, typically manages four courtrooms, overseeing between 500 and 600 cases at any given time. On some days she’ll see as many as 100 people fill the courtroom.\

Inger keeps a record of every case that comes before her and follows specific procedures for each court calendar. She regularly finds that the group of attorneys she’s working with will change depending on whatever matter is being dealt at the moment. The cases can involve everything from early intervention to Veterans Treatment Court, Adult Drug Treatment Court and Mental Health Treatment Court.

“That’s just the way of the world. We live a life where we are understaffed,” Inger said. “I feel like Branch 21 is definitely on the higher end. We have an immense amount of work.”

But Inger, who joined Branch 21 in 2016 after working for various law firms, isn’t intimidated by the intense schedule. The pressure just means she and her team must make sure they are always working as efficiently as possible, she said.

Although by no means easy, the work for a long time was at least manageable. Then the coronavirus struck in March, shutting down courts throughout the state.

Rather than despairing, Inger responded by going to work, taking steps to ensure court could be held virtually. By mid-April, all of the branch’s four courtrooms were functioning again.

Inger said she and her colleagues knew they would have to begin holding hearings virtually as quickly as possible. The pandemic, she said, was particularly pernicious to participants in the branch’s programs — who often struggle with drug addiction and mental illness.

“These people’s lives matter,” Inger said. “It wasn’t an option for us. We needed to get up and running right away.”

As the pandemic has dragged on, Inger has found time to both manage the court’s virtual calendar and take on additional duties. One example of this came when she stepped into a vacant position for a deputy sheriff for a few months.

“It’s a thankless job,” Inger said. “But it’s OK, because our victories are celebrated when our participants are celebrating.”