When it became a national law for states to release public records, most states took on incredibly rigid policies that are primarily in favor of the person who is requesting the information. The idea is that anyone that requests access to Wisconsin court records, be it an individual, a business or a government office, will receive the information that they need in a timely manner. This makes it easy for anyone who needs access to these files to get what they need without wading through a tide of bureaucracy.

Public records in the state of Wisconsin, including Wisconsin court records, work a little different from the other states in the country. This state has not established a mandatory date for which the government must hand over the public court records that you request.

An ample collection of files exist under Wisconsin court records, however, the state may delay your receipt of the records you request for as long as they see fit without retribution. This fact makes it difficult to obtain Wisconsin court records that are not readily available to the public.

Fortunately, you can find a vast amount of Wisconsin court records available over the Internet. This can make the process of finding the information that you need incredibly easier to bear. On the other hand, if the Wisconsin court records that you want to view have not already been requested, you may have to wait a considerable amount of time before anyone even responds to your request, let alone fulfills it.

Finding the Wisconsin Court Records You Need

If you are searching for Wisconsin court records, it is crucial that you have at least some understanding as to how the trial court system is structured in the state. Finding the Wisconsin court records that you need may mean traveling from one courthouse to another and searching through the records of various court venues. Rather than enter your quest for information blindly, take the time to learn a little more about the Wisconsin court system.

The trial court system in the state of Wisconsin is made up of municipal courts and circuit courts. To find the court records that you want, you need to know which case fall under the jurisdiction of which courts in the state.

Circuit courts have general authority over all kinds of cases, both criminal as well as civil. However, the circuit courts primarily only hear the cases that go outside of the jurisdiction of the Wisconsin municipal courts. In addition, the circuit courts are also responsible for handling a number of civil cases, such as equity cases, general civil cases, probate cases and cases involving domestic relations. Exclusive authority over all criminal cases in the state of Wisconsin belongs to the circuit courts.

The municipal courts in the state of Wisconsin typically take care of cases that involve municipal ordinance violations, such as traffic violations. In addition, the municipal courts may also hear cases that involve juveniles. The state of Wisconsin also has plans to create a number of special problem solving courts that will handle specific cases, like domestic violence.

Taking the time to learn the ins and outs of the court system will make your search for Wisconsin court records quick and painless. However, keep in mind that the delay for receiving some court records may be rather extensive.

• Wisconsin State Court Districts

• Wisconsin State Legislature