Brown County Courthouse (Image: Courtesy of Brown County Clerk of Courts)
MADISON, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — A state budget motion that would have expanded Brown County’s circuit court system and addressed unprecedented case delays has been rejected.
In late May, officials held a news conference to emphasize the need for more judges, prosecutors, defense attorneys and court staff in Brown County.
It was a proposal that had support from state lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, who said the severe backlog of felony cases in the Brown County criminal justice system could be reduced with the motion they put forward.
But Tuesday, the bill was rejected on a party-line vote by the Republican majority on the state’s Joint Committee on Finance.
The motion called for the addition of two new judges. Brown County has one judge for every 34,000-plus people in the county. Outagamie County has one judge for every 27,000 people, while Milwaukee County’s ratio is one to 21,000.
Additionally, it would also have added three assistant district attorneys, two court reporters and two additional support staff for the Green Bay public defenders office — moving the system from eight circuit court branches to 10.
In Brown County, pending felony cases are up 220% over the last decade, with over 500 cases involving individuals who have been waiting in jail for two years to get their day in court.
Keeping these individuals in jail longer costs Brown County taxpayers more and makes the need even greater to expand the jail system, lawmakers argued.
In a statement, incoming Wisconsin Supreme Court Chief Justice Karofsky said:
We remain deeply committed to the safety and security of every person who walks into a courthouse in Wisconsin. This includes victims, litigants, attorneys, and the dedicated public employees who work to ensure justice prevails.
While today’s budget action did not include any additional security for the court system, we will continue working toward solutions that reflect the needs of judges, court staff, and the public.
We thank Governor Evers for prioritizing court security in the budget and look forward to continued dialogue with the Legislature on how best to support the safety and effectiveness of our courts.
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