Recorded Hearings

The Municipal Court records trials, motions, and indigency hearings, in accordance with chapter 800 of the Wisconsin Statutes.

Trials

A trial is a formal legal process where a judge examines evidence and hears arguments to decide the outcome of a case. Trial include presentation of evidence, examination of witnesses, and legal arguments.

Motions

A motion is a request asking a judge to make a decision or take a specific action within a legal case. For example, a motion to reopen is a motion made by any party to reopen a judgment or to move for relief from the judgment.

Indigency Hearings

An indigency hearing is a hearing to determine whether someone is unable to pay a court-imposed forfeiture due to poverty.

Recording Policy

Wisconsin Statute s. 800.13(1) "Recording in municipal court" provides as follows: “Every proceeding in which testimony is taken under oath or affirmation, hearing on a motion under s. 800.115, and hearing regarding whether a defendant is unable to pay the judgment because of poverty, as that term is used in s. 814.29(1)(d), in a municipal court shall be recorded by electronic means for purposes of appeal.”

Recording Procedure

Any case that receives a scheduled court date for trial, motion or indigency hearing will be recorded pursuant to s. 800.13(1), Wis. Stats. Prior to the hearing, the Court will mail and email (if known) notice of the hearing date.

Other proceedings may be recorded. If the proceeding necessitates that the matter be recorded to make a determination on a motion or indigency status the Court will either begin recording at that time OR the Court will stop the proceedings, schedule the case for a hearing on the issue, and record that hearing.

All recordings are maintained electronically in accordance with the Court’s retention schedule.