CIRCUIT COURT I

JUDGE MICHAEL T. LUCCI

LOCATION & CONTACT INFORMATION

Courthouse Building
1313 Belknap Street, Room 308
Superior, Wisconsin  54880
Phone:  (715) 395-1471
Fax:  (715) 395-1285

MISSION STATEMENT

Branch I of the Douglas County Circuit court is one of two trial courts handling the caseload of Douglas County.  It is presently presided over by Judge Michael T. Lucci, who was elected to the bench in 1985.  The two branches share the caseload according to a rotation plan approved by the judges.  Large claims, civil actions, family law cases and all forfeitures are divided equally.  One court takes all misdemeanors and the other felonies, which they rotate every few years.  Branch 1 handles all probate litigation, guardianships, and mental commitments, while Branch II handles juvenile cases.

The circuit court system is a state court system of trial courts administered by the State of Wisconsin through districts and in Madison by the Director of State Courts.  Douglas County is part of the 10th Judicial District, which covers 13 counties in the northwestern corner of the state.  The Chief Judge for the district is currently Judge Ed Brunner from Barron County.  The circuit court system is regulated and supervised by the Wisconsin Supreme Court through the Chief Justice, Shirley Abrahamson.

Circuit Court Judges are elected by the county and serve six-year terms.  They, as well as their reporters, are state employees paid by the state.  The salaries and powers of circuit court judges are the same throughout the state.  Occasionally, the judges are assigned to cases in neighboring counties in their district, such as Ashland or Bayfield.

Each branch has a judicial assistant who is a county employee.  Besides assisting the judge with case management and scheduling, the assistant fulfills all of the court's secretarial and receptionist needs.  The budget, which basically remains the same each year, reflects the salary and benefits of one county employee, the judicial assistant, and the cost of office supplies, equipment, and other related expenses of the court office and the reporter for the year.

The two courts of Douglas County are very busy courts.  Last year, Douglas County was one of 13 counties in Wisconsin on a bill to add an additional branch because of its judicial needs.  Because of the budget crisis, however, the bill was taken off the table and none of Wisconsin's counties received an additional judgeship.