Brown County Circuit Court

Brown County Circuit Court Overview

Wisconsin uses one trial court, the Circuit Court, organized by county. There is no separate county-level "district court" for trials. The Brown County Circuit Court is a court of general jurisdiction, so it hears nearly every type of case unless a statute assigns the matter elsewhere. That includes civil suits, criminal charges, family cases, probate, small claims, traffic, and juvenile matters.

Court records follow Supreme Court rules on how long they are kept and how expunged records are handled. Under SCR Chapter 72, records are retained on a set schedule, and expunged records are sealed, removed, or otherwise restricted. The retention rule is what governs that process.

So the court both decides cases and keeps the records those cases create, under statewide rules.

List of Brown County Circuit Court Branches

The Brown County Circuit Court has eight numbered branches, all at the courthouse in downtown Green Bay. The Honorable Tammy Jo Hock serves as presiding judge. Each branch has its own judge and clerk line. The table lists the branches and the clerk phone for each.

Circuit Court vs. Municipal Court

Wisconsin places a local municipal court below the circuit court. The two handle very different work. The circuit court is the general trial court; the municipal court handles local ordinance and municipal traffic cases. The table compares them.

How a Case Moves Through the Brown County System

Most cases follow a predictable path. A criminal case starts with an arrest or a charge and moves through early hearings to trial and, if needed, appeal. Wisconsin commonly charges by complaint and information rather than a grand jury indictment. A civil case starts with a filing and moves through discovery toward judgment. Brown County circuit filings use the statewide eFiling system under Wis. Stat. § 801.18.

Criminal flow: Arrest › Initial Appearance › Preliminary Hearing or Information › Arraignment › Pretrial › Trial › Sentencing › Appeal

Civil flow: Complaint Filed › Answer › Discovery › Mediation › Trial › Judgment › Appeal

Civil, Family, Criminal, and Probate Work

The circuit court divides its work by subject even though it is one court. Civil and small claims cases handle money disputes, evictions, and judgments. Criminal cases run from misdemeanors to felonies. Family cases include divorce, custody, placement, and support, governed by Wisconsin Chapter 767, with marriage governed by Chapter 765. Court commissioners help by hearing many criminal, traffic, small claims, juvenile, mental health, divorce, injunction, and child support matters as directed.

Family law is one of the busiest areas, and the rules are specific. Divorce follows the Wisconsin Rules of Civil Procedure, and Brown County local rules require financial disclosure in contested property cases. Marriage validity, waiting periods, and officiant rules come from Chapter 765.

The Register in Probate, appointed by the circuit judges, keeps the official record for probate, mental health, guardianship, and conservatorship matters and assists with civil commitments and annual trust accountings.

Court Commissioners and the Register in Probate

Four court commissioners support the Brown County Circuit Court. Appointed by the circuit judges, they help reduce delays by handling cases as directed, from criminal and traffic matters to small claims, juvenile, and mental health hearings. They also handle family court work, including divorce, abuse injunctions, and child support enforcement. The court commissioners line is 920-448-4285, and the Register in Probate line is 920-448-4275.

Appeals from the circuit court go to the Wisconsin Court of Appeals, the state's intermediate appellate court. The Wisconsin Supreme Court reviews selected cases and oversees court administration statewide. A party who loses in the Brown County Circuit Court usually heads to the Court of Appeals next, not back to the trial branch.

Specialty Treatment Courts in Brown County

Brown County runs several treatment courts that work with the circuit court. Most are high-risk programs that admit people after a plea or conviction and use the RANT assessment. The Wisconsin DOJ Criminal Justice Coordinating Council lists them on its Brown County page.

The Adult Drug Court, which started in 2010, accepts people with drug-related offenses after conviction and excludes violent offenders. Participants receive supervision and treatment over at least a year before graduation.

The Mental Health Court began in 2015 for people with a diagnosis who need steady monitoring until they stabilize in the community.

The Veterans Treatment Court serves justice-involved veterans, and the county also runs an OWI Treatment Court and a Heroin/Opioid Court. Contact for these programs is Mark Vanden Hoogen, Criminal Justice Services Manager, at 920-391-4849.

These courts aim to address the cause of repeat offenses rather than only the offense itself.

Municipal Court Below the Circuit Court

Municipal courts sit below the circuit court for local matters. Green Bay Municipal Court holds proceedings at 330 S. Jefferson Street, a short walk from the main courthouse. It handles city ordinance and municipal traffic citations. A request for a jury trial there must be made in writing within ten days of the initial appearance, with a check payable to the Brown County Court Clerk. An appeal from municipal court generally routes to the circuit court.

Federal District Court Is Separate

Federal cases do not go through the Brown County Circuit Court. Brown County sits in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, and the Green Bay federal courthouse is at 125 S. Jefferson Street. Federal court records are searched through PACER, not WCCA. The Eastern District of Wisconsin handles federal crimes, federal civil rights cases, and other matters set by federal law.

Federal prosecution comes from the U.S. Attorney's Office, which runs a Green Bay branch.

Federal appeals go to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, not the Wisconsin Court of Appeals.

So a Brown County resident can have a state case in the Circuit Court and a federal case in the Eastern District at the same time, tracked through two different systems.

Related Brown County Resources

For dockets and case lookup, see court records and court dockets. For clerk contact and copies, see the Clerk of Circuit Court. For estate matters, see probate records.