Manitowoc County was created in 1836 before Wisconsin’s statehood and then organized in 1848. The City of Manitowoc is its county seat and largest city. As of the 2020 census, it had a population of 81,359 and a land area of 589 square miles.

Courts in Manitowoc County

The Manitowoc County court system comprises circuit and municipal courts. The Manitowoc County Circuit Court is the highest court in the county. It has general jurisdiction over criminal and civil cases but typically hears cases beyond the jurisdiction of municipal courts. It hears misdemeanors, felonies, civil cases, and juvenile matters. It also handles probate matters, such as admission of wills, appointment of guardianships, and administration of estates and trusts. Furthermore, it hears domestic matters, including legal separation, divorces, annulments, and maintenance. The Manitowoc County Circuit Court hears traffic violations and municipal ordinance infractions in municipalities without municipal courts.

There are four municipal courts in Manitowoc County with exclusive jurisdiction over municipal ordinance violations and traffic offenses within their boundaries. They can also hear some juvenile matters, such as alcohol violations, truancy, curfew violations, and drug offenses. However, municipal courts cannot offer jury trials and must transfer cases with proper requests to the Manitowoc County Circuit Court. The four municipal courts in the county are in Cleveland Village, the City of Two Rivers, the City of Kiel, and the City of Manitowoc.

Where to Find Public Court Records in Manitowoc County

Public court records in Manitowoc County are records that can be accessed by members of the public, including court filings, court proceedings, writs, warrants, and orders. The Manitowoc County Clerk of Circuit Court maintains all records from the Circuit Court and makes nonconfidential records available to the public, while the clerks of each municipal court maintain their court records. The public court records of Manitowoc County Circuit Court are available on the Wisconsin Circuit Court Access portal. Some municipal courts also provide online access to their nonconfidential court records. In addition to online access, anyone can visit any of the courts to inspect or request copies of cases heard in those courts.

Types of Public Court Records in Manitowoc County

The availability of public court records in Manitowoc County allows the public to see the workings of the legal system and improves their trust in the judicial system. Unless sealed by court orders, Manitowoc County makes the following types of court records available to the public:

• Criminal Court Records: including court proceedings and judgments for misdemeanors and felonies
• Family Court Records: including divorce decrees, annulments, and maintenance orders

• Civil Court Records: such as personal injury cases, professional malpractices,  eminent domain, mortgage foreclosures, trade secrets, contract indebtedness, and product liability

• Probate Court Records: such as documentation of estate assets and liabilities, wills, and trusts

Confidential Court Records in Manitowoc County

In Manitowoc County, confidential court records are court records sealed by particular court orders or by default under Wisconsin law. These records are sealed for privacy or security reasons and are only accessible to authorized persons or by court orders. The following are usually excluded from public court records in Manitowoc County:

• Most juvenile delinquency records, except for serious felonies
• Adoption records
• Termination of parental rights
• Substance abuse treatment records
• Guardianships
• Sexually transmitted disease (STD) test results and treatment records
• Child protection
• Medical and mental health records
• Records of confidential informants

Part or all of the following are also concealed from public view in Wisconsin:

• Bank account details
• Social Security number
• Driver’s license number
• Tax returns

Juvenile Delinquency in Manitowoc, WI

Unfortunately, in many areas of the Manitowoc County, juvenile delinquency issues are on the rise. There are many reasons for the rise in youth offenders. The juvenile sentence in Wisconsin often depends on the severity of the crime, the number of crimes, and other family matters.

In 2017, a total of 250 juvenile cases were reported for every 100,000 people age 10 to adulthood in the jurisdiction of Manitowoc County. Of that total, 67% of those proceedings were delinquencies which equaled 168 court cases. Another 27% were dependency cases that accounted for 68 of the juvenile cases.

A lot of counties, including, Manitowoc County, are focusing on family therapy and relationships rather than punishment for juvenile crimes. Future Manitowoc County juvenile delinquency numbers will show whether or not this approach is working.

Government of Manitowoc County, WI

https://www.wisconsin.gov/

County Seat:	Manitowoc
Government Type:	County
Authority:	Dillon's Rule
Year Organized:	1836
Total Square Miles:	1,494
2019 Population:	79,175
Persons/Square Mile:	0.02
County Contact:	1010 S 8Th St County Courthouse Manitowoc , WI 54220-5392 http://www.manitowoc-county.com

Manitowoc County, WI Courts