Vol 11 No 2 H I G H L I G H T S Spring 3 Milwaukee courts reach out to MATC 9 Retirements 2003 3 Training Dane County’s frontline staff 13 Wisconsin courts build international reputation 6 Election results 16 Celebrating the Sesquicentennial 7 Obituaries 20 New faces Biennial budget bill New policy governs public info on courts' Web site passes Joint Finance by Deborah Salm, budget officer four-year project to develop a site was visited 1.7 million times in Apolicy on disclosure of public April. he Legislature’s Joint Committee information over the Internet is now WCCA has served as a model for Ton Finance completed its action on complete, and the court system – for courts around the nation and has been Senate Bill 44, the 2003-05 biennial the first time – has a roadmap for recognized in the national media for budget bill, on June 4. The bill now will determining what will be posted online. making public information so go to the Senate and Assembly for final Most court information is public; accessible. But this cutting-edge use of action; it is anticipated that few changes however, it never was as readily case management technology also has will be made in either house. From a publication of the Wisconsin Judiciary a publication of the Wisconsin sparked a debate about how much there, the bill goes to the governor, who available as it is today through the may partially veto it. The Legislature Wisconsin Circuit Court Access information should be available online. may override any veto with a two-thirds (WCCA) Web site. Through WCCA, In response to these concerns, then- vote in both houses. The budget act anyone with an Internet connection Director of State Courts J. Denis covers state expenditures from July 1, can, with a few keystrokes, conduct a Moran appointed the WCCA Oversight 2003 through June 30, 2005. statewide search of circuit court Committee in fall 1999. The committee The committee made the following records to learn about an individual’s made policy recommendations with the changes to court-related portions of the contacts with the courts. WCCA data is assistance of people who use the courts bill that was introduced on behalf of the updated continuously as courts in most and use court data. These included: governor on Feb. 20: counties around the state enter litigants, law enforcement, the ! removed the proposed statutory information into the Consolidated American Civil Liberties Union, the changes to the sentencing guideline Court Automation Programs (CCAP) media, the State Bar of Wisconsin, provisions under the Truth-in- case management systems. district attorneys, public defenders, and Sentencing law (these now may be The WCCA site receives an average legislators. introduced as a separate bill); of 750,000 hits per day; at peak, the Interim Director of State Courts ! deleted the proposal to transfer the number has reached 925,000. This page John Voelker formalized and released Sentencing Commission from the is by far the most popular spot on the the policy in early May. The goal, he Department of Administration to the court system Web site. The courts’ Web Department of Corrections, but see WCCA on page 5 included the provision to reduce Sentencing Commission staff from six positions to two; Wisconsin judges are tapped for boards, ! deleted the proposed expansion of commissions the court interpreter statutes that This spring, several Wisconsin judges have been tapped for key spots would have required appointment of on state boards and commissions. Some of the most recent appointments interpreters in all types of cases follow. regardless of indigency, and deleted related funding to reimburse Sentencing Commission is taking shape counties for these additional inter- The new, 21-person Wisconsin Sentencing Commission is not yet preter costs; complete, but appears to be taking shape. While he has not made a ! retained the proposal to increase the formal announcement, Gov. Jim Doyle has appointed a commission chair court support services fee and and is in the process of filling other seats. He is replacing the people appellate filing fees by 30 percent; whom former Gov. Scott McCallum appointed prior to leaving office. ! retained the requirement that The Supreme Court made its appointments – Judges Patrick J. Fiedler $750,000 in each fiscal year be lapsed to the state’s general fund and Elsa C. Lamelas – in September 2002. from any of the courts’ general fund state operations appropriations Judge Gordon Myse to serve on State Elections Board Chief Justice Shirley S. Abrahamson nominated Reserve Judge The Third Branch (these include the three levels of court, the Director of State Courts Gordon Myse to the State Elections Board, which administers and Office, and the Wisconsin State Law enforces the state’s election and campaign finance laws. Library). Myse, who served on the District III Court of Appeals from 1986-99 and as an Outagamie County Circuit Court judge from 1972-83, replaces Court employees will receive a Professor Daniel Blinka of Marquette Law School. more detailed summary of the amended see Appoint on page 5 bill as an informational bulletin. " www.wicourts.gov 2 Spring Director offers thanks to court employees 2003 Editor's note: Starting in this issue, Interim Director of State I mean the reserve judges and freelance court reporters, Courts John Voelker will write a regular column in The Third who, despite having reduced opportunities to use their skills THE THIRD BRANCH Branch to share his thoughts and ideas on the challenges within the system, are always willing to help when the and opportunities facing the court system. phone does ring. I mean frontline court staff who continue to provide n late February, I was appointed as interim director of first-rate customer service on a daily basis. Istate courts. I received a number of e-mails, phone calls, I mean court personnel throughout the system who have and notes offering congratulations. The sentiments maintained a positive outlook despite being asked to take on had a recurrent theme: “Congratulations, I think.” additional responsibilities due to extended vacancies. While it is true that the court system is facing a I understand the sacrifices that many of you have made number of challenges in the current fiscal during this period of funding cuts. Without the level of environment, I believe the opportunity to guide an commitment that has been demonstrated over the past few organization with good people and an important years by court employees, our ability to provide services to mission far outweighs the challenges. every individual who comes to the courthouse would have When I say good people, I mean the suffered. colleagues you see every day who keep smiles on Gov. Jim Doyle proclaimed May 5-9 Public Employee their faces despite the fact we have asked them to Recognition Week. I cannot think of a group more deserving travel to three counties in one week to save of recognition than the individuals who, together, make the John Voelker money. Wisconsin court system work. I thank you, and offer you an I mean the judges who continue to help out in difficult unconditional “congratulations on a job well done.” It is situations even though their calendars have become more my honor and privilege to lead this organization. " crowded. AWARDS Marquette honors DiMotto Named for Virginia Hart, who served as secretary of the Department of Regulation and Licensing, chair of the Judge Jean W. DiMotto, who has served on the bench in Commission for the Department of Industry, Labor, and Milwaukee County Circuit Court since 1997, was awarded Human Relations (now Department of Workforce Marquette University's ‘All-University Alumni Merit Award Development), and chair of the Labor and Industry Review for Professional Achievement’ in April. Commission, the award recognizes outstanding women in A former member of the state government. Marquette University College Chief Justice Shirley S. of Nursing faculty, DiMotto Abrahamson presented was cited for her successful Radloff with the honorable integration of the professions mention, noting her consis- of law and nursing. She tent high achievement, teaches and publishes in both esteem from colleagues, will- professions, lecturing ingness to take on new and regularly to groups in different assignments – such Wisconsin and around the as chairing the Web Site nation. She especially enjoys Oversight Committee – and teaching nurses and nursing general good humor. educators about the courts Radloff was officially and the law. Deputy Director of State Courts Pamela J. Radloff, left, looks named deputy director in The award also recog- on as Chief Justice Shirley S. Abrahamson and Interim Director October 2002 after serving in of State Courts John Voelker describe her accomplishments the position on an interim nized her commitment as an during an awards ceremony at the Capitol. Justice Ann Walsh oblate to the Benedictine Bradley and Lieutenant Gov. Barbara Lawton also participated basis for seven months. Prior Women’s Monastery in in the ceremony. to taking on this management Madison. role, she worked for 10 years as the court system’s fiscal officer, automating the courts’ Radloff is honored for service to the state accounting and financial reporting systems while managing fiscal and payroll operations. Deputy Director of State Courts Pamela J. Radloff, a The winner of the award, Karen Morgan, has worked for certified public accountant who directs the Office of the executive branch for 32 years. She was credited with Management Services, was awarded an honorable mention revamping the delivery system for unemployment insurance. in the ‘Virginia Hart Special Recognition Award’ competi- This was the second time that a court system employee tion on May 7. see Awards on page 18 3 Milwaukee courts Dane County courts educate staff about abusive Spring reach out to MATC relationships 2003 here are 65,000 students at taffers who work on the front lines of the court system assisting people who THE THIRD BRANCH TMilwaukee Area Technical Sare often stressed, angry, and scared, sometimes find that the skills they need College (MATC) studying everything most are not the ones they learned in school.