SHAWANO COUNTY, WI – Shawano County’s court system is experiencing a significant surge in criminal cases this year, with Clerk of Courts Ethan Schmidt reporting that both felony and misdemeanor filings through November have already surpassed totals from all of last year. Schmidt says the county’s caseload continues to outpace neighboring Waupaca and Oconto counties, noting that Shawano is seeing double and in some areas triple the number of criminal filings, even though those counties have more judges on staff.
Despite the mounting workload, Schmidt remains cautiously optimistic as the county heads into 2026. He says the addition of two new prosecutors in the district attorney’s office should help speed up case filings and ease some of the strain on the courts.
Schmidt says the system is always busy, but believes the expanded staff will help Shawano County keep pace with rising caseloads.
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