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Trial court reform aimed at efficiencyBy Dennis E. CurranJournal Times State BureauMADISON A plan toorganize Wisconsin’s Inal courts into 14 administrative districts was approved “in principleFriday bv the State Ad-w wministrative Committee for the Courts.The proposal, which also would create a “chief judge in each administrative district, nowwill be reviewed by the state's trial judges before ultimatelygoing to the State SupremeCourt for final action The intent is to make court administration more efficient by vesting administrative powers in chief judges who answer to thesupreme court “This is something for better management of courts that the courts can do themselves, saidChief Justice Horace W Wilkie, who also is chairman of the administrative committee. Courts, he added, should do “whateverwe can to manage ourselves.Unlike some proposed court reorganizations which require legislative approval or constitutional amendment, creation of administrative districts and administrative officers is an inherent power of the supreme court, according to the chief justice and a special study committee.All of the proposed 14 administrative districts would follow present circuit court boundaries.Racine and Kenosha counties would comprise the first administrative district, while Walworth, Rock and Green counties would comprise the se-I iiqqtifli 7 /jffilwliit r/\ State Bureaui Report l\cindLa Crosse Countv would be in-%?eluded in an eight-county southwestern Wisconsin administrative district along with Monroe, Vernon. Crawford.Richland, Grant, Iowa andLaFayette counties.Jackson and Juneau counties would be included in a centralWisconsin district, while Trempeleau and Buffalo counties would be part of a district centered around Eau Claire Dane Countv would be one ofVthree single-county administrative districts The others would be Milwaukee and Waukesha counties.The chief judge would haveoverall administrative and fiscal responsibility, including powerto assign judges and determine workload. The chief judge would be assisted bv a deputy judge and professional administrator.Under the proposal by the special committee headed by Marquette University Law Dean Robert Boden. chief judges would be elected bv fellowjudges of the district.While approving the proposal in principle, committee members made it clear they do not agree with all details, however.A sizeable minority believes that chief judges should be appointed by the State Supreme Court instead of elected byjudges, and some said they think the chief judge should have evengreater powers than proposed Questions also were raised about the role of and need for a fulltime court administrator ineach district * Aren't we building this cathedral for the benefit of the bishop and one worshipper0 asked Manitowoc County Judge Leon Jones “Isn't this just forMilwaukee County0 State Court Administrator Edwin M Wilkie conceded thatthe plan would benefit Milwaukee, but he added it will benefit less populated counties and rural counties as well.Chief Justice Wilkie, while calling the plan “a constructiveapproach, cautioned that before any plan is promulgatedby the state’s high court, it must be reviewed by the state’s trial judges at the January judicial conference, then come again tothe administrative committee and then undergo scrutiny at public hearings before beingconsidered by the court.‘ The Racine paper has already got its chief judge elected, the chief justice smiled in reference to a Journal Timesstory that Racine Circuit Judge Howard DuRocher is a likely possibility to get the chief judgeship in the proposedRacine-Kenosha district.
Newspaper Details
Racine Journal Times
Racine, Wisconsin, US
Sun, Dec 15, 1974
Page 2
Full Page
Clipped by
Madeline K.
NA, 06 Apr 2023
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