The Wisconsin Circuit Courts are the primary trial courts in the State of Wisconsin in the United States of America. The Wisconsin court system grants jurisdiction to a WI circuit court to hear a myriad of topics. The topics that are placed under the jurisdiction of the Wisconsin Circuit courts include:
· Contract law,
· Personal injury law,
· Family law,
· Juvenile delinquency law,
· Laws affecting children that find themselves in need of protection or services,
· Small claims,
· Traffic violations,
· Disputes between tenants and landlords,
· and criminal law.
Under Wisconsin law, Wisconsin circuit courts can hear a case if the WI circuit court has the authority to decide the issues at stake in the case, which is known as subject matter jurisdiction. The Wisconsin court system will also allow the Wisconsin circuit courts to hear a case if it is determined that the court has the authority to bring the defendant to court and then enforce a judgment against the defendant. This is known a personal jurisdiction.
Subject matter jurisdiction for a WI circuit court is assigned by the Wisconsin Constitution, with personal jurisdiction being determined by if the crime occurs in the State in a criminal case, although in a civil case personal jurisdiction is determined by if the defendant is either located within the State or has sufficient ties to the jurisdiction to compel them to stand before the WI circuit court.
There are 69 Wisconsin circuit courts. 66 of these Wisconsin circuit courts serve a single county, while the other three are assigned jurisdiction over two counties. These 69 circuits involve 241 branches.
