Essential Hearings During Safer at Home

Apr 02, 2020

In the current state of the COVID-19 outbreak there are a lot of questions as to what types of hearings the Courts will have during this time. Based upon the "Safer at Home" order of the Governor, the Wisconsin Supreme Court has provided some direction on what is considered an essential hearing. At this time the following are considered essential hearings:

In custody defendants, bond/bail hearings, preliminary hearings with time limits, review of sentencing after revocation hearings
Juvenile proceedings limited to JV/JC hearings
Termination of parental rights hearings
Mental commitments and guardianship cases
Family law cases - restraining order hearings, temporary order hearings if placement is at issue (Wis. Stat. §767.225(am)); enforcement of physical placement orders (Wis. Stat. §767.471(5)); relocation motions (Wis. Stat. §767.481(2))
Criminal jury trials with speedy trial demands will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
Individual judges retain their authority to make changes to these guidelines as the judge determines as necessary.

Please note that each county has some variation of what they consider an essential hearing. If you have a court hearing scheduled, your attorney will be kept informed on dates pertaining to your hearing. It should also be noted that even though your hearing might not be deemed essential it can still be scheduled for after the "Safer at Home" order is lifted.

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