Changes to WCCA case display and modifier placement

In accordance with recommendations provided to the Director of State Courts by the Wisconsin Circuit Court Access (WCCA) Oversight Committee, significant changes affecting case display and the way charge modifier information is displayed were rolled out in a release of the WCCA website on March 30, 2018. Specifics about these updates are outlined below.

Display period changes

  1. Criminal felony and misdemeanor cases on which all charges have a disposition of dismissed or acquitted will display on WCCA for 2 years after entry of the final order on the case.
  2. Traffic forfeiture and Forfeiture (non-traffic ordinance violation) cases on which the charge has a disposition of dismissed or acquitted will display on WCCA for 2 years after entry of the final order on the case.
  3. Small claims cases with stipulated dismissals will display on WCCA for 2 years after the final order on the case.
  4. Injunctions under Wis. Stat. Chapter 813 for domestic abuse, child abuse, individual at risk, and harassment, which result in a dismissal or a denial will display for 2 years after entry of the final order.

Modifier placement changes

  1. Criminal charge modifiers will be displayed on the executive summary of each case. When the "Attempt" modifier is used, the word "Attempted" will precede the charge description. For example, the current executive summary charge description "Danielle J Defendant was found guilty of Armed Robbery, a class C felony, ..." will be revised to read "Danielle J Defendant was found guilty of Attempted Armed Robbery, a class C felony, ..." All other modifiers will be placed on their own lines, beneath the call-out heading "Modifiers."
  2. Criminal charge modifiers will also be clearly visible within the case summary, existing beneath the applicable charge, on an indented line labeled "Modifiers". Currently, the case summary doesn't display modifiers.

To learn more about these changes and the recommendations provided by the Wisconsin Circuit Court Access (WCCA) Oversight Committee, review the committee's final report and action plan.