Richland County clerk urges support for fees bill, readies Justice on Wheels and jury paneling

Stacy, Richland County Clerk of Courts, told the Public Safety Committee on Oct. 3 that clerks are pressing lawmakers to support a fees bill identified in the meeting as B320 that would boost the portion of court fees retained by counties.

Stacy said the Clerk of Courts Association and the Wisconsin Counties Association are backing the proposal and contrasted that position with testimony from the State Bar of Wisconsin. “The State Bar of Wisconsin, sadly does not” support the change, Stacy said. She added clerks will continue to provide testimony to legislative committees and urged county board members and the public to contact legislators about the bill.

Stacy said the clerk’s office mailed 1,025 jury qualification questionnaires this fall to build panels for 2026 and described behind-the-scenes work to process responses and assemble panels. She also described outreach tied to Justice on Wheels, a Wisconsin Supreme Court program scheduled in Richland County on Monday, Oct. 27, including a civics contest for fifth-graders whose winners will be recognized in the courtroom.

Why it matters: the proposed fee change would affect county revenue for clerks’ offices and related court functions; Stacy said counties bear increased costs for court-appointed counsel and that the argument in Madison often confuses access to filing with access to attorneys.

Key details: Stacy said filings and jury work draw on Department of Transportation (DOT) records for lists used to mail questionnaires and explained that filing-fee waivers remain available for people who qualify. She noted court-appointed counsel rates have risen in recent years (from $70 to about $100 per hour, as presented in the meeting) and said that cost burden falls on counties. She described a shortage of local attorneys and the loss of a volunteer free legal clinic following the death of a local volunteer, and said some residents must travel to nearby counties for private counsel.

Stacy also described continuing education and vendor interaction at an upcoming Clerk of Court conference in Wisconsin Rapids and said the association has opened limited vendor participation this year to reduce registration costs; Tyler (case-management software vendor) is listed as a participating vendor.

Quotes and attribution: “In my 18 years as clerk of court, never once has anyone said, I can't afford to file,” Stacy said, arguing that the main access gap is the inability to afford attorneys, not filing fees. She also said, “It is illegal for us to do that. So we cannot give legal advice,” referring to the clerk’s obligation to avoid providing legal counsel while directing people to attorneys.

What remains unresolved: Stacy requested the committee’s support for outreach around the fees bill and for continued coordination with the clerk association. No formal committee action on the bill was recorded during the meeting.

Ending: Stacy encouraged county officials and residents to contact legislators about the fees measure (B320 as referenced in the meeting) and said the clerk’s office will continue jury-panel preparations and Justice on Wheels outreach in the weeks ahead.