(CHART) Wisconsin Caseload Summary 2019-2021

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Courthouses statewide were noticeably affected by the pandemic and the resulting closings, limited in-house proceedings and virtual proceedings. Caseload totals significantly dipped from 2019 to 2020 but saw increases in 2021. With data provided by the Wisconsin Court System Circuit Court Statistics, totals for opened cases throughout the state have fluctuated over the past three years, but appear to be on the rise.

Wisconsin courts in 2019 began the year with 127,495 cases pending, 802,395 opened and 131,698 still pending as the year completed. These caseload totals break down into criminal (misdemeanor, felony etc.), forfeiture (traffic, forfeiture etc.), civil (small claims, divorce, civil etc.), probate (estates, trusts, informal etc.) and juvenile cases.

As the courts maneuvered around the pandemic and statewide closures, 2020 saw decreases in opened cases with 631,296 total in all the caseload categories. The pending caseloads jumped from 130,350 at the beginning of the period and ended with a more than 20,000 caseload increase from the previous year with 154,650 pending.

On all fronts, 2021 demonstrated a rise in caseloads, beginning the year with 153,666 pending, a total of 674,144 opened cases and 155,554 pending at the year end.

With the court system rapidly changing, Wisconsin’s courts are attempting to dig out of the backlog of cases as stress levels rise and staff shortages make the job all the more difficult.