Supreme Court’s “Justice on Wheels” to visit Richland County; courthouse security, technology and court funding discussed

Richland County court officials told the County Committee on Aug. 1 that the Supreme Court of Wisconsin will bring its "Justice on Wheels" program to Richland County on Monday, Oct. 27, when the court will hear live oral arguments in the county courthouse.

The visit — the first time the program will come to Richland County — prompted discussion of courthouse security, logistics and courtroom technology. County staff also reviewed recent state funding changes that affect court operations and flagged operational needs such as updated remote-hearing equipment.

Circuit Court leadership described the visit as an opportunity to show statewide court operations locally and to honor retired Chief Justice Ann Walsh Bradley, a Richland Center native. "It's a big deal," the Circuit Court Judge said, noting plans to host the seven justices for morning oral arguments followed by a judicial conference. Staff member Stacy Cleist was identified as spearheading planning for the event.

Committee members and staff discussed courthouse security measures tied to the visit. Security staff and the sheriff's office have met with Supreme Court security personnel to review requirements; the sheriff's personnel will provide resources during the visit. There were no recent incidents reported that would change those plans.

Clerk of Courts staff told the committee the county's court operations are largely mandated by state statute and that the office submitted a budget summary as part of the 2026 budget process. The clerk noted that the state budget included an additional $20 million for counties' court systems — described in the meeting as $10 million each year over two years — and that the office is awaiting the state director's calculations to determine Richland County's share. The clerk also said a separate comprehensive fee bill being discussed in the Legislature could add additional recurring revenue for counties by adjusting county-retained user fees; participants in the meeting estimated that fee changes might produce roughly $30 million a year statewide, though the clerk said the exact distribution to each county is not yet determined.

Several staff raised technology concerns. The courtroom Polycom video/teleconferencing system, installed before the COVID-19 pandemic, is experiencing repeated failures and parts shortages. The Clerk of Courts said the system already shows signs of aging and causes frequent interruptions: "There's nothing that we do that can be eliminated," the clerk said, adding that remote-hearing equipment serves multiple agencies and reduces the need for transports. Committee members asked staff to continue evaluating replacement options and to coordinate costs with the fiscal office.

The committee also heard that the criminal justice coordinating committee has approved new policies and a new phasing structure for the county's treatment court program. Officials described the change as a "major shift" to bring treatment court practices in line with updated standards; implementation and staff training were described as active next steps. The Circuit Court Judge said the committee will discuss implementing more bail monitoring measures at a future meeting.

Register and probate staff told the committee they are requesting a personnel-hours increase from 35 to 37.5 hours per week for two positions because of increased workload related to multiple duties (judicial assistant duties, juvenile clerk duties and probate/register duties) and more post-COVID reimplementation of meetings and processes. That request was presented for committee awareness; no formal decision on the hours change was recorded in the meeting minutes.

County staff said they will continue planning for the Supreme Court visit, pursue technology replacement options, and follow up with fiscal staff on budget calculations. The Oct. 27 oral-argument event and the court funding allocation from the state were identified as topics for upcoming committee meetings.