Dane County Circuit Court Case Search

Dane County Circuit Court records encompass extensive court documents, including court orders, case files, dockets, judgments, and other pertinent information. Requesters may access some of these documents online via the Wisconsin Circuit Court Access or visit the Clerk of Courts Office to inspect and copy the records. Typically, inquirers execute case searches of Circuit Court records when tracking case status, conducting trial research, or conducting background checks for employment or tenancy. Under the Wisconsin court system, the circuit and municipal courts are the trial courts handling various types of civil and criminal cases.

What Kinds of cases have been heard in Dane Circuit Court?

In Dane County, the Circuit Court is the primary trial-level court with original jurisdiction over all civil and criminal cases. Generally, the court handles legal matters beyond the legal authority of the Municipal Courts. The court also oversees all jury trials.

Although the Circuit Court has exclusive jurisdiction over all criminal cases, it typically does not handle ordinance violations that fall under Municipal Courts' jurisdiction. Like most parts of Wisconsin, the Dane County Circuit Court hears civil cases related to general civil claims, civil equity cases, domestic relations, most juvenile cases, and probate matters.

The County Circuit Court has specialty courts, including the Drug Court, Veterans Treatment Court, and OWL Treatment Court.

Dane County Circuit Court

The Dane County Circuit Court is the primary trial-level court with original jurisdiction over criminal and civil matters in the county. The court usually handles civil disputes and criminal cases, including probate, juvenile, and traffic matters and civil and criminal jury trials.

As the county's primary trial court, the Circuit Court prominently upholds and protects the rights of Dane County residents through its fair and efficient dispute resolution process. The contact and locational address of the Dane County Circuit Court is as follows:

Dane County Circuit Court
Dane County Courthouse
215 South Hamilton Street, Room 1000, Madison, WI 53703
Phone: (608) 266-4311
Fax: (608) 267-8859

Dane County Case Lookup

Requesters wishing to conduct a county-wide search of Dane County court records may do so using the following resources:

For Online Searches

The Wisconsin Circuit Court Access (WCCA) provides individuals seeking Dane County court records access to information such as parties involved, court dates, case status, and documents submitted in different cases in the state's circuit courts.

The portal offers case types for civil, criminal, family, probate, and small claims legal matters. However, it does not display confidential court records related to adoptions, juvenile delinquency, child protection, termination of parental rights, guardianship, and civil commitments.

Requesters typically do not have to pay or register for an account to access record indexes on the platform. However, viewing the physical documents at the courthouse may incur fees.

Individuals may search WCCA using criteria such as party name, business, case number, or birth date. When searching by party name, users must enter a complete last and first name (or business name). However, they only need to insert the first three (3) or more consecutive letters of the name and the asterisk (*) to search for partial names.

Walk-in Requests

Interested parties requesting records in person may visit the Dane County Clerk of Courts Office during working hours (Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., except weekends and holidays).

Those with valid government-issued photo IDs and case numbers may submit a record request to the Record Center in the Dane County Courthouse. Information seekers without a case number will incur a $5.00 fee per name searched. Alternatively, requesters may use public access terminals in the Law Library to find case numbers or statuses.

Obtaining copies of court records costs $0.25 per page, while certified copies cost $5.00 per document. Searchers may make payments in cash, check, money order, or credit/debit card at the specified windows in the Clerk of Court's Office.

Mail-in Requests

Individuals using the Dane County mail-in request must send a written request, with the court case number or citation number, a self-addressed stamped envelope, a copy of their valid photo ID, and the necessary fees (payable to "Clerk of Courts") to:

Dane County Courthouse
Room 1002
215 S Hamilton St.
Madison, WI 53703

The application must include the requester's first and last name, address, and phone number.

Plain copies of court records cost $0.25 per page, certified paper copies cost $5.00 per document, and exemplified copies attract a fee of $15.00 per document, plus a $5.00 research fee.

Dane Circuit Court Case Search by Name

Information searchers wishing to conduct a name-based search of District Court records in Dane County may do so via the following options:

Online: Using the party name criteria on WCCA, users may enter a complete last and first name for a name-based search. They may also search partial names by entering the first three (3) consecutive letters of a name and the asterisk (*) character. The exact process applies to searches by business name.

In-Person Search: Requesters may visit the Records Center of the Clerk of Courts Office and Research Section of the Jefferson County Clerk of Court's Office between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, to execute an in-person name-based search. They must, however, provide adequate information about a case to hasten the name-based court record search.

Mail Requests: Applicants must mail a written request to the Clerk of Court's Office containing their contact details, a party's name (preferably a complete name), a case number and type, and other requirements (e.g., a copy of photo ID, a self-stamped envelope, and payment for copies and certifications).

Dane Circuit Court Docket Search

A court docket is a comprehensive calendar that records essential events in a court proceeding. It usually contains the case number and parties involved, hearing dates, rulings, judgments, orders issued by the judge, trial dates, and outcomes.

Court dockets are beneficial to court staff, parties in a legal proceeding, judges, and the general public for the following reasons:

1. It helps them keep track of the progress of motions filed and deadlines.
2. It keeps them updated on pending hearings or trial dates.
3. They are invaluable in appraising decisions or precedents in similar cases.
4. They help monitor the compliance of parties with court orders.

To search for court dockets on the Wisconsin Circuit Courts Access portal, navigate to the Case Search page and click on the Calendar tab to generate the following:

• The "Court" calendar shows upcoming events for the selected court official over the chosen date range.
• The "Attorney" calendar reveals court events for the activities of the selected attorney over a date range.
• The "Law enforcement" calendar displays a compilation of upcoming activities over the selected date range for a chosen issuing agency.

Lookup Dane County Circuit Court Online

Individuals seeking Dane County Circuit Court records may access court filings and case summaries through the Wisconsin Circuit Court Access platform or visit the Clerk of Courts Office for actual records. Alternatively, third-party sites such as Wisconsincourtrecords.us may offer convenient interfaces for effectively searching the county's Circuit Court records.

Visitors may receive specific case details by entering information like case numbers and party names from the comfort of their living spaces. These sites allow searchers to view and download court records easily. However, these sites operate independently of government agencies and cannot, therefore, guarantee accurate, updated, or complete information. Users should verify documents they source from non-official repositories for authenticity and accuracy.

Supreme Court vs. Circuit Court

In Dane County, the Circuit Court is a lower trial court where civil and criminal legal matters are first handled. On the other hand, the Wisconsin Supreme Court undertakes reviews and appeals (from lower courts like the circuit courts) and sets legal precedents. While the State Supreme Court is the final authority on state law, the United States Supreme Court is the highest court in the country and handles federal matters. Typically, the US Supreme Court reviews federal constitutional issues and state disputes.