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Clerk of courts urges support for fees bill and describes jury recruitment work
Summary
Richland County’s clerk of courts discussed jury questionnaire mailings, ongoing jury management duties, and advocacy for a fees bill (referred to in the meeting as B320) that would increase the county share of court fee revenue; the clerk said counties need modest fee increases to offset rising court-appointed counsel costs.
Stacy, the Richland County clerk of courts, told the Public Safety Committee she and colleagues are pressing the Legislature to back a fees bill the clerk referenced as “B320” that would increase the portion of court fees retained by counties.
Stacy described recent jury-management activity, saying the office mailed 1,025 qualification questionnaires to build next year’s jury panels and that staff must process returns to determine eligibility based on residency, age, felony status and English proficiency. She said that work is labor intensive and that the office aims to complete panels by December so trials can begin in January.
On the fees bill, Stacy said the Clerk of Courts Association and the Wisconsin Counties Association support modest increases in county-retained court fees. She said the State Bar of Wisconsin did not support the proposed increases at a recent hearing and that some testimony from attorneys mischaracterized local clerk practices. Stacy said, “In my 18 years as clerk of court, never once has anyone said, I can't afford to file,” and stressed that filing-fee waivers are available for indigent filers but that the greater problem is the cost of legal representation.
Stacy described rising county costs for court-appointed counsel, noting per-hour rates have increased in recent years (she cited a historical increase from $70 to $100 per hour), and said those costs are a burden on smaller counties. She urged committee members to contact legislators and review the bill, saying, “If you have a chance to talk to anybody, the fees bill is a b 3 20.”
Committee members received the update; no formal county legislative position was adopted at the meeting. Stacy said she and other clerks are making frequent trips to Madison and coordinating testimony with association leaders.
