Racine County Court Records Lookup

The following is for information purposes only

Racine County sits on a total area of 792 square miles in southeastern Wisconsin. As the fifth- most populous county in the state, it is inhabited by 197,068 people. The city of Racine is the only incorporated municipality entirely within the county, and it also serves as the county seat. The Racine County judicial system is made up of a Circuit Court and several Municipal Courts. The duty of the judicial system is to keep domestic peace and solve controversies within the county.

The Racine Circuit Court is located in the city of Racine. Five key Divisions within this court handle different types of cases. All cases relating to evictions, foreclosures, restraining orders, and civil lawsuits over $10,000 are heard in the Civil Court. Conversely, the Small Claims Court is in charge of civil actions where the claimed amount is $5,000 or less. While the Criminal and Traffic Court deals with matters of violated state law, including felonies, misdemeanors, and criminal traffic offenses, the Juvenile Court is concerned with issues that involve juveniles who are under the age of 17. The Probate Court deals with matters relating to wills, trusts, adoptions, and civil commitments. Furthermore, Municipal Courts are responsible for maintaining law and order within their localities. These courts handle local ordinance violations, parking tickets, traffic violations, and minor offenses. In Racine County, a Municipal Court is situated in each of the following municipalities:

• City of Burlington
• Racine
• Town of Burlington
• Dover
• Norway
• Raymond
• Waterford Village
• Caledonia
• Mount Pleasant
• Sturtevant
• Union Grove
• Town of Waterford
• Wind Point

The Wisconsin Circuit Court Caseload Statistics report shows that the Criminal and Traffic Court receives and disposes of the majority of cases filed in the Circuit Court, processing an average of 35,000 cases annually. In addition, Municipal Court statistics indicate that Racine Municipal Courts administer an average of 26,000 cases each year. In keeping with the county's commitment to transparency, the public can access the court records of cases filed in Racine County. Individuals interested in viewing or copying non-confidential court records can submit an online request, send a written request by mail, or visit the respective Circuit Court Division where the case was filed. It is worth noting that the records of the following proceedings are deemed confidential and are not accessible to the public in Racine County:

• Adoption proceedings
• Paternity proceedings
• Juvenile proceedings

Lastly, Racine County's Circuit and Municipal Courts form a well-organized court system that handles the county's diverse legal matters. The court system also promotes transparency by providing both electronic and on-site access to court records.