70.13(3) (3) Establish uniform definitions and reporting procedures.

70.13(4) (4) Identify the principal users of the reports and establish a regular review procedure.

70.14 SCR 70.14 Planning and policy advisory committee.

70.14(1) (1) The planning and policy advisory committee shall consist of:

70.14(1)(a) (a) The chief justice of the supreme court, or such other justice as the supreme court may designate.

70.14(1)(b) (b) One judge of the court of appeals selected by the court of appeals.

70.14(1)(c) (c) Thirteen circuit judges, with one judge elected by the judges of each of judicial administrative districts 2 to 4 and 6 to 10, with 2 judges elected by the judges of judicial administrative district 5 and 3 judges elected by the judges of judicial administrative district 1.

70.14(1)(d) (d) One municipal judge elected by the Wisconsin Municipal Judges Association.

70.14(1)(e) (e) Two persons selected by the board of governors of the state bar.

70.14(1)(f) (f) Three nonlawyers, one of whom shall be an elected county official, appointed by the chief justice.

70.14(1)(g) (g) A public defender appointed by the chief justice.

70.14(1)(h) (h) A court administrator appointed by the chief justice.

70.14(1)(i) (i) A prosecutor appointed by the chief justice.

70.14(1)(j) (j) A clerk of court appointed by the chief justice.

70.14(1)(k) (k) One circuit court commissioner, who shall be selected for a three-year team, the selection to be made alternately, first by the Wisconsin Family Court Commissioners Association, then by the Wisconsin Association of Judicial Court Commissioners.

70.14(2) (2) The chief justice, or his or her designee, will act as chairperson of the planning and policy advisory committee. The chairperson shall appoint an existing judicial member of the planning and policy advisory committee to serve as vice-chairperson. The vice-chairperson will act in a leadership capacity in the absence of the chairperson and will serve in this capacity at the discretion of the chairperson.

70.14(3) (3) The director of state courts shall meet with and participate in the deliberations of the committee. The director shall have full floor privileges, including the right to be an advocate on any issue before the committee. The director shall not be a member of the committee and shall not have a vote on matters before the committee.

70.14(4) (4) The purpose of the planning and policy advisory Committee is to advise the supreme court and the director of state courts in the director's capacity as planner and policy advisor for the judicial system. The committee shall also assist the supreme court and the director in evaluating the administrative structure of the court system, including recommending appropriate changes in the administration and methods of operations of all the courts of the state, the volume and condition of business in those courts, and advise on the expeditious handling of judicial matters in the future. The planning and policy advisory committee shall be kept fully and timely informed by the director of state courts about all budgetary matters affecting the judiciary to allow it to participate in the budget process.

70.14(5) (5) The committee shall meet at the call of its chairperson, but shall meet at least quarterly. The agenda shall include reports from and recommendations by the subcommittees. Staffing for the committee shall be provided by members of the director's staff assigned to subject matter areas under consideration by the committee.

70.14(6) (6) The planning and policy committee is authorized to create subcommittees where appropriate and shall appoint a subcommittee to confer with the supreme court and the director of state courts in the court's review of the budget.

70.14(7) (7) The supreme court shall meet with the planning and policy advisory committee on an annual basis for a full discussion of judicial matters of mutual concern.

History: Sup. Ct. Order No. 04-04 , 2004 WI 146, 276 Wis. 2d xiii; Sup. Ct. Order No. 07-14 , 2008 WI 26, filed and eff. 4-2-08.

70.15 SCR 70.15 Judicial conference.

70.15(1) (1) There is constituted the judicial conference of Wisconsin, which consists of the justices of the supreme court, the judges of the court of appeals, the judges of the circuit court, reserve judges, three municipal court judges designated by the Wisconsin municipal judges association, one circuit court commissioner designated by the family court commissioner association, one circuit court commissioner designated by the judicial court commissioner association, and one judicial representative of a non-Public law 280 tribal court and two judicial representatives of Public Law 280 tribal courts designated by the Wisconsin tribal judges association.

70.15(2) (2) The conference shall meet once each year in regular session and may call any special meeting.

70.15(3) (3) The chief justice shall preside at annual and special meetings of the conference, or, in his or her absence, the senior associate justice present shall preside, unless the agenda otherwise provides.

70.15(4) (4) T he judicial conference may divide into functional sections and create subcommittees to study advised topics.

History: Sup. Ct. Order No. 00-13 , 2000 WI 103, 237 Wis. 2d xiii; Sup. Ct. Order No. 01-09 , 2001 WI 35, 242 Wis. 2d xvii.

70.153 SCR 70.153 Judicial conference, forms.

70.153(1) (1) The court forms that the judicial conference is required to adopt under s. 758.18, stats., shall be developed by the records management committee, an advisory committee to the director of state courts office.

70.153(2) (2) Under article VIII of the bylaws of the judicial conference, the judicial members of the records management committee act on behalf of the judicial conference in the adoption of court forms.

70.153(3) (3) Each court form shall include a notice that the form may be supplemented with additional material.

70.153(4) (4)

70.153(4)(a) (a) Upon adoption of a court form, the records management committee shall distribute or make a copy of the form available to the clerks of circuit court, the circuit court judges, the state bar of Wisconsin and other appropriate persons.

70.153(4)(b) (b) Within 90 days after the date of distribution of a standard court form adopted under s. 758.18 (1), stats., an interested person may file with the records management committee a written objection to the mandatory use of the form, to the content of the form or to both the use and the content.

70.153(4)(c) (c) The records management committee shall respond to the objector under par. (b) in writing within 90 days after receipt of the objection.

70.153(4)(d) (d) Within 30 days after the date on which he or she receives the written response of the records management committee to an objection filed under par. (b), the person filing the objection may file with the clerk of the supreme court a petition for review of the decision of the records management committee. The supreme court may request a response from the records management committee and establish a schedule for submission of the matter to the supreme court for determination.

70.153(5) (5) Any voluntary form adopted under s. 758.18 (2), stats., if properly completed, shall be received for filing or other appropriate action by the circuit court. If a clerk of circuit court distributes voluntary forms, the clerk shall use forms adopted under s. 758.18 (2), stats., whenever they are available for that purpose.

History: Sup. Ct. Order No. 98-01 , 228 Wis. 2d xiii (1999); Sup. Ct. Order No. 05-02 , 2005 WI 41, 278 Wis. 2d xxxv.

70.155 SCR 70.155 Translation of court forms.

70.155(1) (1) The records management committee, working with the director of state courts office, shall identify court forms and instructions suitable for translation into a language other than English. Translated forms adopted by the judicial members of the records management committee, on behalf of the judicial conference, shall be treated as court forms adopted under s. 758.18, stats., and SCR 70.153.

70.155(2) (2) Translated forms shall use a format that incorporates both English and the second language. Every question or statement requiring a response, such as a check box or signature, will provide only one location in the English portion of the form to make that response. The answers to free-text questions must be written in English.

70.155(3) (3) Each translated form shall carry a notice, in both languages, that the translated form does not replace any of the following:

70.155(3)(a) (a) The need for an interpreter.

70.155(3)(b) (b) Any colloquies mandated by law.

70.155(3)(c) (c) The responsibility of court and counsel to ensure that persons with limited English proficiency fully comprehend their rights and obligations.

70.155(4) (4) Use of a translated form does not supersede the need for an interpreter for communicating with counsel, or for in-court proceedings pursuant to s. 885.38, stats. Interpreters may assist individuals in filling out forms to the extent permitted by SCR 63.07.

70.155(5) (5) Any translation of a form shall be accompanied by an affidavit stating that the translator knows English and the second language and that in making the translation the translator carefully translated the form from English into the other language and that the translation is true and correct.

History: Sup. Ct. Order No. 05-04 , 2005 WI 44,278 Wis. 2d xxxix; Sup. Ct. Order No. 09-03 , 2010 WI 100, filed 7-27-10, eff. 1-1-11.

70.16 SCR 70.16 Definitions. In SCR 70.16 to 70.34:

70.16(1) (1) "Administrative assistance" means assistance in trial court administration with respect to budgeting, personnel, equipment and facilities management, judicial assignments and liaison with governmental and community groups.

70.16(4) (4) "District court administrator" means a person who is a state employee and qualified to provide administrative and technical assistance as well as to assist the chief judge in carrying out his or her duties and responsibilities.

70.16(5) (5) "Judicial administrative rule" means a supreme court rule of general application relating to the administration and management of the state judicial system or an order of limited effect and of particular application to a court or to the administration of a specific portion of the judicial system.

70.16(6) (6) "Local judicial administrative rule" means a rule of general application not inconsistent with a judicial administrative rule relating to the administration and management of a judicial administrative district, including, but not limited to, a rule regulating record, case flow, jury, facility or equipment management or judicial assignments, budgeting, personnel or statistical systems.

70.16(7) (7) "Person" has the meaning specified in section 990.01(26) of the statutes.

70.16(8) (8) "Technical assistance" means assistance in trial court administration with respect to records management, caseflow management, court reporting management, jury management, statistical analysis, computerization, grant application, and education of support personnel.

History: Sup. Ct. Order No. 97-04 , 212 Wis. 2d xiii (1997).

70.17 SCR 70.17 Judicial administrative districts. The state is divided into judicial administrative districts for the purpose of administering the court system. Each district includes all the circuit courts within the district. The judicial administrative districts are as follows:

70.17(1) (1) The 1st district consists of Milwaukee county.

70.17(2) (2) The 2nd district consists of Kenosha, Racine and Walworth counties.

70.17(3) (3) The 3rd district consists of Jefferson, Ozaukee, Washington and Waukesha counties.

70.17(4) (4) The 4th district consists of Calumet, Fond du Lac, Manitowoc, Sheboygan and Winnebago counties.

70.17(5) (5) The 5th district consists of Dane, Green, Lafayette and Rock counties.

70.17(6) (6) The 6th district consists of Adams, Clark, Columbia, Dodge, Green Lake, Juneau, Marquette, Portage, Sauk, Waushara and Wood counties.

70.17(7) (7) The 7th district consists of Buffalo, Crawford, Grant, Iowa, Jackson, La Crosse, Monroe, Pepin, Pierce, Richland, Trempealeau and Vernon counties.

70.17(8) (8) The 8th district consists of Brown, Door, Kewaunee, Marinette, Oconto, Outagamie and Waupaca counties.

70.17(9) (9) The 9th district consists of Florence, Forest, Iron, Langlade, Lincoln, Marathon, Menominee, Oneida, Price, Shawano, Taylor and Vilas counties.

70.17(10) (10) The 10th district consists of Ashland, Barron, Bayfield, Burnett, Chippewa, Douglas, Dunn, Eau Claire, Polk, Rusk, St. Croix, Sawyer and Washburn counties.

70.18 SCR 70.18 Appointment of chief judges of judicial administrative districts; term. The supreme court shall appoint a chief judge in each judicial administrative district, who shall be a circuit judge within the district, for a term of 2 years, commencing August 1 of the year of appointment. The supreme court shall fill vacancies as they occur. A chief judge is subject to removal by the supreme court and may not serve more than 3 consecutive terms. In exceptional circumstances the supreme court, in its discretion, may extend a chief judge's service beyond the 3 term limit.

70.19 SCR 70.19 Duties of the chief judge.

70.19(1) (1) The chief judge is the administrative chief of the judicial administrative district. The chief judge is responsible for the administration of judicial business in circuit courts within the district, including its personnel and fiscal management. The general responsibility of the chief judge is to supervise and direct the administration of the district, including the judicial business of elected, appointed and assigned circuit judges.

70.19(2) (2) In carrying out administrative duties, the chief judge shall cooperate with the director of state courts.

70.19(3) (3) In the exercise of his or her general responsibility, the chief judge has the following duties:

70.19(3)(a) (a) Assignment of judges within each judicial administrative district. The chief judge shall establish a system for the equitable distribution and allocation of categories of cases and case loads within the district, subject to the approval of the supreme court.

70.19(3)(b) (b) Maintenance of a system for and effective management of case flow through the judicial administrative district.

70.19(3)(c) (c) Where necessary, establishment of days and hours for court operation.

70.19(3)(d) (d) Appointment of court committees.

70.19(3)(e) (e) Adoption of local judicial administrative rules under SCR 70.34.

70.19(3)(f) (f) Establishment of policies and plans.

70.19(3)(g) (g) Provision for representation of the circuit court in ceremonial functions and in its relations with other courts, other branches of government and with the news media.

70.19(3)(h) (h) Calling and presiding over meetings of the circuit judges within the district.

70.19(3)(i) (i) Supervision of vacation schedules, including requiring adherence to SCR 70.11 (1) (a).

70.19(3)(j) (j) Coordination of attendance by judges and other court personnel at conferences which require absence from the court during working hours. Judicial education is not vacation. Time spent fulfilling judicial education requirements mandated by the supreme court rules is not to be charged against annual leave.

70.19(3)(k) (k) Supervision of court finances including financial planning, the preparation of budgets and fiscal reporting where necessary and required.

70.19(4) (4) The chief judge shall exercise administrative authority over the administration of judicial business of the municipal courts of the judicial administrative district. The chief judge shall assign municipal judges as specified in SCR 70.24.

70.19(5) (5) The chief judge shall, subject to the approval of the director of state courts, adjust his or her caseload to reflect the amount of time needed for administrative duties.

History: Sup. Ct. Order No. 94-12, 187 Wis. 2d xxv (1994); Sup. Ct. Order No. 10-11 , 2011 WI 23, 332 Wis. 2d xiii.

70.20 SCR 70.20 Authority of the chief judge.

70.20(1) (1) The chief judge shall exercise within the judicial administrative district the full administrative power of the judicial branch of government subject to the administrative control of the supreme court. The chief judge may order that his or her directives, policies and rules be carried out. Failure to comply with an order of the chief judge may be grounds for discipline under sections 757.81 to 757.99 of the statutes.