The Wisconsin Supreme Court has issued orders allowing local courts to resume in-person hearings and jury trials. The openings can be done on a court-by-court basis, and each individual municipal and circuit court must prepare a plan to open safely and protect participants and observers. Those plans must be submitted to the chief judge of each judicial administrative district for approval before the courts can resume in-person proceedings.
The circuit courts are encouraged to refer to and to incorporate into their operational plans the recommendations set forth in the Final Report of the Wisconsin Courts COVID-19 Task Force, which was issued May 15, as applicable to the circumstances for that circuit court. The Task Force was convened by Wisconsin Supreme Court Chief Justice Patience Roggensack on April 28.