758.19 Director of state courts.

(1) The director of state courts shall be included within the Wisconsin retirement system and ch. 40 applies to the director as it applies to justices of the supreme court.

(2)

(a) The director may establish and charge fees for the provision of services or sale of documents concerning any of the following:

1. Uniform court forms.

2. Computer generated special reports of court information data.

3. Photocopies.

4. Pamphlets.

(b) The fees are subject to the cost limitations under ss. 19.35 (3) and 20.908.

(4) The director of state courts may develop, promote, coordinate and implement circuit court automated information systems that are compatible among counties using the moneys appropriated under s. 20.680 (2) (j). If the director of state courts provides funding to counties as part of the development and implementation of this system, the director of state courts may provide funding to counties with 1 or 2 circuit court judges for a minicomputer system only up to the level of funding that would have been provided had the county implemented a microcomputer system. In those counties with 1 or 2 circuit court judges, any costs incurred to implement a minicomputer system not funded under this subsection shall be paid by the county. Those counties may use that minicomputer system for county management information needs in addition to the circuit court automated information system use.

(4m) The director of state courts may establish and charge fees for electronic filing of court documents under the circuit court automated information systems created under this section. The secretary of administration shall credit all moneys collected under this subsection to the appropriation account under s. 20.680 (2) (j).

(5)

(am) The director of state courts may create a uniform chart of accounts that each county shall be required to use for the recording of all financial transactions relating to the operation of circuit courts and may audit the information submitted under par. (e). If the director of state courts decides to create a uniform chart of accounts, he or she shall consult with the department of revenue regarding the creation of that chart.

(b) From the appropriation under s. 20.625 (1) (cg), the director of state courts shall make payments to counties for circuit court costs. The director of state courts, at the direction of the supreme court, shall define circuit court costs for the purposes of this subsection.

(e) No later than May 15, 2009, and no later than May 15 of each year thereafter, each county shall submit to the director of state courts, in a format that is established by the director of state courts, and in a manner that comports with the uniform chart of accounts under par. (am), information regarding the amount of actual circuit court costs that the county incurred in the previous calendar year and revenues collected or received by the circuit court in the previous calendar year.

(f) A county that fails to meet the requirements under par. (e) is not eligible for a payment under par. (b) for one fiscal year, as defined in s. 237.01 (3), after the May 15 that the information was not provided, or until the information is provided, whichever is earlier. Except as provided in this paragraph, the information regarding the amount of actual costs reported under par. (e) does not affect the amount paid to a county under par. (b).

(i) The director of state courts shall compile the information reported under par. (e) and, by October 1 annually, submit that information to the legislature under s. 13.172 (2) and to the governor.

(7) The director of state courts shall adopt, revise biennially and submit to the cochairpersons of the joint committee on information policy and technology, the governor and the secretary of administration, no later than September 15 of each even-numbered year, a strategic plan for the utilization of information technology to carry out the functions of the courts and judicial branch agencies, as defined in s. 16.70 (5). The plan shall address the business needs of the courts and judicial branch agencies and shall identify all resources relating to information technology which the courts and judicial branch agencies desire to acquire, contingent upon funding availability, the priority for such acquisitions and the justification for such acquisitions. The plan shall also identify any changes in the functioning of the courts and judicial branch agencies under the plan.

History: 1971 c. 254 ss. 1, 2, 4 to 16; Stats. 1971 s. 257.19; 1975 c. 37, 189, 199; 1977 c. 29; 1977 c. 187 ss. 97, 135; 1977 c. 305 s. 64; 1977 c. 449; Stats. 1977 s. 758.19; Sup. Ct. Order, 88 Wis. 2d xiii (1979); 1981 c. 96; 1983 a. 27; 1985 a. 29, 340; 1989 a. 31; 1991 a. 32, 39; 1993 a. 16, 206, 437, 491; 1995 a. 27, 77, 201, 225, 417; 1997 a. 27, 237; 1999 a. 9, 29; 2001 a. 16; 2003 a. 33, 139; 2005 a. 387; 2005 a. 443 s. 265; 2007 a. 1, 20; 2009 a. 28; 2011 a. 32; 2015 a. 55, 118.