Dane County Court

County Resources

---

Welcome to the Danecountycourt.org. Here you will find a public records search that includes: marriage, divorce, criminal, arrests, mugshots, missing persons & more. DISCLAIMER: Danecountycourt.org is not operated by, affiliated or associated with any local, state, or federal government or agency. Danecountycourt.org works with a aggregation company called PeopleConnect, that collects government-generated records from public sources and provides fast, easy, and inexpensive access to those records. Because those records are subject to change by the original sources, we cannot guarantee the accuracy, reliability, or timeliness of the content offered. Danecountycourt.org is not a consumer reporting company as defined by The Fair Credit Reporting Act, 15 USC § 1681 et seq, and cannot be used for the purposes of establishing credit worthiness, employment background checks, tenant screenings, or evaluation of risk related to business transactions. Avoid using Danecountycourt.org for criminal purposes such as stalking or identity theft, as such utilizations are subject to civil or criminal charges and penalties. Users must agree with the PeopleConnect terms of service before making use of the service.

Dane County Court Information

There are two locations for court cases in Dane County, Wisconsin.

Dane County Courthouse
Room 1000
215 S Hamilton St.
Madison, WI 53703
(608) 266-4311

Madison Municipal Court Office
210 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
Room 203
Madison, WI 53703
(608) 264-9282

Clerk of Courts

The Clerk of Circuit Court is an elected position, with each term being 4 years. The Clerk has the responsibility of being the custodian of Circuit Court records. They are also responsible for jury management, and managing the administration and financials of the Circuit Courl.

Jeff Okazaki
Dane County Clerk of Courts
215 S. Hamilton Street, Room 1000
Madison WI 53703-3285
(608) 266-4311

Circuit Court

The Circuit Court has original jurisdiction in Wisconsin in all civil and criminal cases, with or without a jury trial. There are 9 judicial administrative districts throughout the state, and each district has a Chief Judge. The Chief Judge is initially appointed by the State Supreme Court and supervises the administration of the judicial district. A Chief Judge may serve up to three consecutive 2-year terms.

Municipal Court

The Madison Municipal Court hears relatively minor cases, such as violation of ordinances, first-time DUI offenses, underage drinking, and truancy. The Municipal Court Judge is an elected position.

Honorable Judge Daniel P. Koval
Christie Zamber, Court Administrator

Court Commissioners

A court commissioner is a lawyer who’s appointed by the circuit judges and acts as a judicial officer. A court commissioner must be in good standing with the Wisconsin state bar and have 3-5 years of relevant experience.

Court commissioner duties may include small claims court, preliminary criminal hearings, divorce cases, and child support.

Civil Court

Civil cases are those that are not criminal in nature and usually involve a financial or property dispute between two people.

Circuit Court judges hear cases that involve a financial amount of more than $10,000 for monetary judgements or wage garnishment. They also hear tort/personal injury cases involving more than $5,000 and consumer credit claims that involve more than $25,000.

Small Claims Court is part of Circuit Court and hears cases involving up to $10,000 for monetary judgments or garnishing wages, personal injury cases with up to $5,000 in dispute, and consumer credit claims that involve up to $25,000.

Veterans Court

Veterans Court is a voluntary program in which professionals work with veterans to address substance abuse issues or mental health conditions that have contributed to their criminal offenses. A treatment plan is developed, which includes drug and alcohol testing and treatment appointments.

Drug Court

Drug Court may be an option for persons charged with non-violent/non-sexual offenses and who struggle with substance abuse. Participants are required to report to court regularly, submit to drug testing, abide by a curfew, and follow their treatment program. Those charged with felony drug offenses are eligible and must be willing to complete the program.

Upon completion, the charges are usually dismissed. If an offender does not complete the program, they will have to appear before a judge and serve their original sentence.

Criminal Court

Criminal court judges hear cases involving criminal offenses. Circuit Court hears nearly all criminal cases.

Family Court

Family court judges hear cases involving domestic relations, including divorce, custody, and separation. Domestic violence cases are also heard here.

Juvenile Court

Juvenile Court encompasses two fields: juvenile protection and juvenile delinquency. Juvenile protection involves neglect and/or abuse. Juvenile delinquency involves criminal behavior by juveniles.