The Committee of Chief Judges will propose a state Supreme Court rule this fall to start implementing mandatory electronic filing in all 72 circuit courts by 2016.

John Voelker paused, intent on choosing his words carefully, before saying that the courts system is “not the sexiest branch” of Wisconsin’s government.

Eight Milwaukee County supervisors said Monday that they trust the sheriff to catch House of Correction absconders, despite those who say he has failed to do so in the past.

Crunching numbers might not seem like a judicial responsibility, but in Milwaukee County Circuit Court, it’s a necessity.

The Milwaukee Bar Association on Friday held a memorial service at the Milwaukee County Courthouse to remember the more than 50 members of the local legal community who died during the last year.

When Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Charles Kahn joined the bench in 1992, he brought with him not only 17 years of legal experience, but an artistic eye, as well.

Two months into the use of a comprehensive pretrial screening program for criminal offenders, Milwaukee County Court officials say the program is meeting expectations.

A pending legislative proposal to revive a state-run bail bonds system could impede the progress of two counties’ new pretrial screening programs based on risk evaluation.

Milwaukee County Circuit Court Chief Judge Jeff Kremers issued a directive Monday morning that reimbursement of court-appointed expert witnesses should not exceed $2,800 at a maximum rate of $150 per hour.

The Milwaukee County Circuit Court will shuffle judges due to the retirement of Judge Thomas Cooper on Friday. The changes will occur on Feb. 4.

The expectation is Milwaukee County judges and court commissioners will forego their discretion 85 percent of the time to follow a new pre-trial risk assessment when setting bail or supervision in criminal cases.

A proposed revival of a law that lets judges force people to contribute to crime-prevention groups as part of sentencing is raising concerns the bill is a gateway to ethical pitfalls.

As cost concerns loom over a proposal to expand civil appointments in state, members of the judiciary this week also began to question how such appointments would be divvied up without a plan for how to assign cases.

Two Wisconsin counties landed federal money Wednesday to advance initiatives to improve the criminal justice system. Milwaukee and Eau Claire counties won 18-month federal grants to begin offender risk-assessment screening programs in the criminal courts that would determine if alternatives to incarceration are viable options. The money is from the Evidence-Based Decision Making in Local Criminal Justice Systems Initiative, which ...

Milwaukee County’s court system is trying to add science to bail and monitoring recommendations that traditionally rely on a judge or court commissioner’s experience.

A new program designed to streamline pre-trial bail recommendations for criminal defendants is set to roll out later this summer in Milwaukee County. Universal screening is based on 11 questions posed to alleged offenders to help assess risk and determine appropriate bail or monitoring. The program is part of a movement toward more evidence-based pre-trial assessment methods in criminal cases, ...

By Jack Zemlicka A broken-down elevator in Milwaukee County Jail is slowing down attorneys, delaying court cases and irritating inmates. The ground-floor elevator, solely used for professional visits to inmates, broke down about five months ago. Gary Waszak, interim director of the Milwaukee County Department of Transportation and Public Works, said the 15-year-old elevator failed unexpectedly, and the county does ...

The ramifications of a proposed 10 percent budget cut plus increases to employee benefit contributions are starting to show at the state’s circuit courts.