Located in the southeastern part of Wisconsin, Racine County was created in 1836 as a part of the Wisconsin territory. Its population of almost 200,000 makes it the fifth-most populous county in the state, and its county seat is Racine. It has a total area of 792 square miles. 

Courts in Racine County

Racine County has a circuit court and 13 municipal courts. The highest court in the county, the Racine County Circuit Court, has general jurisdiction over all civil and criminal cases. It typically hears cases outside the purview of municipal courts because it is the sole jury trial court in the county. It hears all civil cases, misdemeanors, felonies, and certain juvenile matters. In addition, it hears cases involving domestic issues, such as annulments, divorces, separations, domestic abuse, and maintenance. The court also handles probate matters, including the admission of wills, the appointment of guardianships, and the administration of estates and trusts.

The municipal courts in Racine County hear traffic offenses and municipal ordinance violations within their jurisdictions. They can also hear some juvenile issues, such as juvenile drug offenses, curfew violations, truancy, and alcohol violations.

Where to Find Public Court Records in Racine County

The Racine County Clerk of Circuit Court maintains all Circuit Court public records, while the clerks of each municipal court maintain their court records. These records are accessible to the public and consist of court filings, court orders, writs, transcripts, legal proceedings, and rulings of the county's courts.

The Wisconsin Circuit Court Access portal allows the public to view nonconfidential court records from the Racine County Circuit Court. Some municipal courts also provide online access to their public court records. In addition to having access online, anyone can visit the county courts to view or obtain copies of the cases that have been heard there.

Types of Public Court Records in Racine County

The people's knowledge of and trust in the judicial system in Racine County is improved because of their access to public court records. Racine County makes the following types of court records available to the public unless sealed by a court:

• Criminal Court Records: includes warrants, details about charges, court proceedings, and verdicts for felony and misdemeanor cases
• Family Court Records: includes divorce decrees, emancipation, maintenance orders, and custody judgments
• Civil Court Records: includes personal injury cases, professional malpractices, libel, breaches of contracts, trade secrets, mortgage foreclosures, automobile negligence, breach of fiduciary duty, business torts, real property, contract indebtedness, employment disputes, and slander
• Probate Court Records: includes documentation of wills, trusts, and estates

Confidential Court Records in Racine County

In Racine County, confidential court records are court records sealed to preserve privacy and protect sensitive information. These records are either sealed by court orders or sealed by default under Wisconsin law. Unlike public court documents, which are accessible to anyone, confidential court records can only be accessed by specific court orders or by authorized persons. While most court documents are available to the public in Wisconsin, parts or all of the following are usually excluded from public access:

• Adoption records
• Most juvenile records
• Identifying information about jurors
• Grand jury proceedings and records
• Medical and mental health records
• Financial information
• Sexual assault victim records
• Expunged or sealed records
• Eligible misdemeanor or felony convictions after certain years
• Identifying information about confidential informants in criminal prosecutions
• Personally identifiable information such as license plate number, social security number, and driver’s license number
• Records of victims of domestic violence.

Juvenile Delinquency in Racine, WI

Unfortunately, in many areas of the Racine 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 735 juvenile cases were reported for every 100,000 people age 10 to adulthood in the jurisdiction of Racine County. Of that total, 59% of those proceedings were delinquencies which equaled 434 court cases. Another 37% were dependency cases that accounted for 274 of the juvenile cases.

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

Government of Racine County, WI

https://www.wisconsin.gov/

County Seat:	Racine
Government Type:	County
Authority:	Dillon's Rule
Year Organized:	1836
Total Square Miles:	792
2019 Population:	196,071
Persons/Square Mile:	0.00
County Contact:	730 Wisconsin Ave County Courthouse Racine , WI 53403-1238 http://www.racineco.com/

Racine County, WI Courts