Portage County, established in 1836, covers an area of about 823 square miles and is located in central Wisconsin. Known for its agricultural production, Portage County, home to over 70,000 people, is a leading producer of Cranberries in the United States. Its county seat is in Stevens Point City.
Courts in Portage County
The Portage County judicial system has Circuit and Municipal Courts. The Portage County Circuit Court presides over all criminal and civil cases, including felonies, misdemeanors, and civil claims. The Circuit Court has specialized divisions that handle probate, juvenile family law, and traffic matters.
- Probate Division: Presides over cases related to the administration of estates and guardianships of minors.
- Juvenile Division: Deals exclusively with lawsuits involving minors, such as emancipation, foster care placement, child abuse, and child neglect cases
- Family Law: Addresses disputes related to family matters, including divorce, division of marital assets, child visitation, and adoptions
- Traffic Division: Handles cases such as speeding, running a red light, failure to signal, and driving under the influence
- Small Claims Division: Resolves disputes for claims under $10,000
The Municipal Court in Portage County presides over cases involving violations of city ordinances, such as traffic violations, local code infractions, and minor offenses, such as petty theft and disorderly conduct occurring within municipalities.
Where to Find Public Court Records in Portage County
Public court records are documents and papers from legal proceedings open to the public for inspection and copying. Public court records in Portage County are accessible online using the Wisconsin Circuit Court Access. Furthermore, the Clerk of the Circuit Court maintains all court documents filed in the courts and grants the public access during official hours. Record seekers may also order public court records from the Clerk's office by mail.
Types of Public Court Records in Portage County
Access to court records ensures that judicial proceedings remain transparent and fair, preventing legal misconduct. The following court records are publicly accessible in Portage County:
- Criminal Court Records: Felonies and misdemeanors, including Fraud, kidnapping, vandalism, and public intoxication
- Civil Court Records: Property disputes, contract breaches, medical malpractices, employment disputes, and restraining orders
- Probate Records: Estates, wills, trusts, guardianships, and conservatorships
- Family Law Records: Marriage dissolution, annulment, legal separation, child custody, alimony, and child support
- Traffic Records: Speeding tickets, red light violations, reckless driving, stop sign violations, and driving without a license
Confidential Court Records in Portage County
Confidential court records in Portage County refer to documents from the courts that are exempted from public view. Confidential court records contain sensitive information and are restricted to comply with state or federal law. Consequently, the following court records are inaccessible to the public in Portage County:
- Juvenile court records
- Crime victim information
- Trade secrets
- Grand jury proceedings
- Adoption records
Likewise, personal information contained in court records is confidential. Personal identifying information is redacted from public court records to prevent misuse of personal information and prevent identity theft and fraud. Personal identifiers excluded from public view include:
- Birth dates, home addresses, and phone numbers
- Social Security numbers
- Financial account information
- Medical records
- Health insurance identification numbers
Juvenile Delinquency in Portage, WI
Unfortunately, in many areas of the Portage County, juvenile delinquency offenses are on the rise. There are many reasons for the inflation in youth offenders. The juvenile sentence in Wisconsin often depends on the severity of the crime, the number of charges, and other family matters.
In 2017, a total of 304 juvenile cases were reported for every 100,000 people age 10 to adulthood in the jurisdiction of Portage County. Of that total, 38% of those proceedings were delinquencies which equaled 114 court cases. Another 20% were dependency cases that accounted for 60 of the juvenile cases.
A lot of counties, including, Portage County, are focusing on family counseling and relationships rather than punishment for juvenile crimes. Future Portage County juvenile delinquency tallies will show whether or not this approach is working.
| Juvenile Cases | Number of cases |
|---|---|
| Delinquency | 4,072 |
| Dependency | 534 |
| Status | 2,921 |
Government of Portage County, WI
| County Seat: | Stevens Point |
| Government Type: | County |
| Authority: | Dillon's Rule |
| Year Organized: | 1836 |
| Total Square Miles: | 823 |
| 2019 Population: | 70,474 |
| Persons/Square Mile: | 0.01 |
| County Contact: | 1516 Church St
City-County Building Stevens Point , WI 54481-3501 http://www.co.portage.wi.us/ |