SHAWANO, WI – Shawano County officials are moving forward with plans to bring in a reserve judge to help ease a growing backlog of court cases. Clerk of Courts Ethan Schmidt says the addition will play a key role in reducing long wait times for hearings and trials.
“The number of cases filed and the number being processed, yeah, we have one of the higher case filings per judge in the state of Wisconsin right now,” Schmidt said.
The move comes as felony, misdemeanor, and traffic cases continue to climb faster than in nearby counties. As of late September, Shawano County led both Waupaca and Oconto counties in nearly every major case category. Schmidt says the reserve judge will help balance workloads between the county’s two current judges and improve overall efficiency within the justice system.
“This is kind of a band-aid approach right now,” Schmidt added, “but hopefully it will get things moving faster.”
Officials say the plan will allow Shawano County to process cases more quickly while maintaining fair and timely access to justice for residents.
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