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Judge tells committee courts need chairs, Zoom/audio upgrades, mediators and certified interpreters
Summary
A district court judge told the Public Safety Committee that courtroom seating, audio/Zoom capability, certified interpreters and mediators are short, and outlined plans for a public Westlaw workstation and vendor assistance to manage records retention.
At the Nov. 1 meeting of the Richland County Public Safety Standing Committee, a district court judge described multiple operational shortfalls in the county court system and asked the committee for support on several items including courtroom furniture, audio/Zoom upgrades, mediator pay and certified interpreters.
“We have maybe half to maybe two‑thirds of the amount of chairs we need,” the judge said, noting security concerns with light, movable chairs and a preference for bolted bench seating in the gallery. The judge also said the county budget includes funding for a small judge’s budget in 2025 (about $5,000) but that larger purchases will require additional approval.
On technology, the judge said the county is responsible for courtroom audio and Zoom hardware while CCAP handles digital recording and case access, and reported plans to install a public workstation so courthouse visitors can use Westlaw for legal research to satisfy a Supreme Court rule requiring accessible law library resources.
Court staff described the need for more mediators and certified interpreters. The judge and clerks said mediator compensation historically ran about $60 per hour but may rise toward $100 per hour to align with recent increases in court‑appointed attorney rates. Regarding interpreters, staff said Wisconsin’s certification process produces a small pool of qualified Spanish interpreters (described in the meeting as roughly two dozen statewide), creating scheduling delays and higher costs; staff said uncertified school interpreters could not be used for court hearings without risking state reimbursement.
Committee members heard about collaborations with the State Historical Society to purge and preserve records and a plan to improve Criminal Information Bureau reporting by adding missing arrest tracking numbers in partnership with the district attorney’s office.
The committee did not take direct action on these items Nov. 1 but requested staff and judges continue work and return with specific budget requests and implementation plans as needed.
