Jon Counsell
Circuit Court Judge
Clark County Circuit Court
517 Court Street
Neillsville, Wisconsin 54456
Phone: 715 743 5172
Fax: 715 743 5120
(Facsimile filing of court documents is subject to local court rules)
Mission Statement: To fairly, promptly and efficiently render decisions in
the approximately 10,000 cases that come before the court each year.
Overview: The Clark County Circuit Court is the county’s trial court. It has
jurisdiction over all civil and criminal matters within the county. Case types
that are handled by the Circuit Court include traffic, forfeiture, small claims,
civil, family, paternity, criminal misdemeanor, criminal felony, criminal
traffic, juvenile, guardianships, probate, mental health, adoptions and
termination of parental rights. There is one Circuit Court Judge
elected every six years. The current Judge is Jon Counsell, elected in April
2000.
Case handling: Cases before the court generally go through various stages
before they are completed, depending on case type. It may be necessary for
a party in a case to make several appearances in court before the case is
concluded. In 1999 the average case took approximately 200 days to reach
conclusion. Judge Counsell has started a number of
procedures to speed the handling of cases. Because of these improved case
management techniques the average case now takes 90 to 100 days to reach
conclusion. Please remember, however, that this is an average of all cases.
Some cases will go much faster and others will take much longer, all
depending on the type of case and its complexity.
New Programs: The court, under the direction of Judge Counsell, has
established several new programs within the last two years involving small
claims, juvenile, and family cases. A small claims court commissioner is
now used to help resolve disputes at the initial appearance, leading to a more
prompt resolution of the cases. A teen court was created in 2001with the
cooperation of the local school districts in the county. The teen court works
closely with youths to head off bigger problems later in life. More
information on the Teen Court Program can be obtained from Katrina
Eisfeldt at 715-743-5272. An underage drinking education program is
available in conjunction with the Clark County Department of Community
Services. In family law cases, parents are required to attend a 3-hour
counseling session to learn about the effects of divorce on children and how
to reduce those effects. This program, called “Children In The Middle” is
coordinated with the Department of Social Services.
Funding: The circuit courts are funded with a combination of state and
county money. State funds are used to pay the salaries of the judge, official
court reporter, and reserve judges (retired judges who are assigned to hear
cases when the need arises). The state also funds travel and training for the
judges. By State law, the counties are responsible for all other operating
costs except those listed by statute. The state provides assistance in the form of reimbursement grants,
for those exceptions, which include among other things the costs of
providing guardians ad litem (court-appointed attorneys), court-appointed witnesses, interpreters, and jurors.
DISCLAIMER: The Clark County Circuit Court provides the information in this web site as a service to
Clark County citizens and other Internet users. The information on this site is about legal issues, however it
is not legal advice. You should be aware that the law changes rapidly and because of this the Clark County Circuit Court
can make no warranty or guarantee concerning the accuracy or reliability of the content at this site or at
other sites to which there are links. If you have a specific legal question you may wish to consult with an
attorney.
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