BROWN COUNTY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — According to a new judicial workload study released Wednesday by the Wisconsin Supreme Court, Brown County has a need for more than five additional judges — the most of any county in the state.
The report said circuit courts statewide have a need for about 30 additional judges and court commissioners.
“This study gives us a clear, data-driven foundation for understanding judicial workload across Wisconsin,” Chief Justice Jill Karofsky said in the report. “It will help the court system, counties and policymakers reach informed decisions about how to support fair and timely access to justice in every part of the state.”
The study measures workload based on the time required to process cases. It does not evaluate the performance of judges or courts, directly measure current case backlogs or automatically determine where new circuit court branches should be added.
The report will be reviewed by the Committee of Chief Judges to develop recommendations for future budget requests.
Circuit court judges are state employees, so the Wisconsin Legislature would have to approve the addition of positions. The current state budget lasts until June 30, 2027.
A spokesman for Brown County Executive Troy Streckenbach said the county just received the report and has no immediate comment.
Efforts to add judges, along with more prosecutors and public defenders, have been floated previously. In 2025, a state Assembly bill proposed adding two judges to the Brown County Circuit Court by 2029 due to a large case backlog. The Assembly passed the bill in February on a voice vote, but it did not advance in the state Senate, which held its final regular floor session for the year in March.
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