Waukesha Co. Courts to resume most in-person proceedings Monday

Waukesha Co. Courts to resume most in-person proceedings

WAUKESHA -- All in-person proceedings, except for jury trials, will resume at the Waukesha County Courthouse and the Waukesha County Clerk of Court’s offices starting Monday, June 22, the county announced Sunday.

Services will resume under an operational plan of the Circuit Court of Waukesha County
that outlines COVID-19 safety requirements, read a release.

“This plan allows us to significantly increase the number of legal matters we can resolve after the COVID-19 pandemic put thousands of cases on hold,” said Judge Jennifer Dorow, Presiding Judge in Waukesha County and Chief Judge of the Third Judicial District. “The Waukesha County judiciary consulted extensively with Stakeholders and public health officials to ensure the operational plan balances open access to our courts and service to the public and the health and safety of all litigants, judicial officers, court staff, attorneys, the public, and all other participants and individuals entering the courthouse.”

The Clerk of Court’s offices will also reopen for walk-in public service.

All court filings and documents will continue to be processed over the counter, via the Wisconsin Courts’ eFiling System, U.S. mail, fax and the county drop box located at the front doors of the Courthouse.

Waukesha County Judiciary’s operational plan incorporates many recommendations made by the Chief Justice’s Wisconsin Courts COVID-19 Task Force. It requires everyone in courtrooms, and court-related confined spaces, to wear face coverings, except as authorized on the record by the judge; outlines practices for appropriate sanitation/hygiene; and specifies that notices regarding face coverings and availability of hand sanitizer and disinfectants in court-related areas will be appropriately posted and noticed. The order outlining the operational plan is available here.

In March, public access hours to the courthouse were reduced as part of efforts to limit court operations to essential functions while mitigating public health risks associated with the COVID19 pandemic.