753.061 Court; branch; judge.
(1) In each judicial circuit, each judgeship shall be given a branch number. Each branch constitutes a circuit court with all the powers and jurisdiction possessed by circuit courts in circuits having one judge only, and may be designated in all papers and proceedings either by its respective number or by the name of its presiding judge.
(2) The chief judge of the 1st judicial administrative district shall designate 2 circuit court branches that will primarily handle cases that involve a violation of ch. 961 involving a controlled substance included in schedule I or II under ch. 961 or a controlled substance analog of a controlled substance included in schedule I or II under ch. 961.
(2m) The chief judge of the 1st judicial administrative district is authorized to designate 4 circuit court branches to primarily handle violent crime cases that involve a violation of s. 939.63, if a felony is committed while armed, and of ss. 940.01 to 940.03, 940.05, 940.06, 940.225, 943.23 (1g), and 943.32 (2). If the circuit court branches are designated under this subsection, 2 shall begin to primarily handle violent crime cases on September 1, 1991, and 2 shall begin to primarily handle violent crime cases on August 1, 1992.
History: 1977 c. 449; 1979 c. 175; 1989 a. 121, 122; 1991 a. 39; 1993 a. 92; 1995 a. 27, 448; 2001 a. 109; 2003 a. 33; 2015 a. 55.
Each court branch is endowed under sub. (1) with the full powers of a circuit court and has the same powers as every other branch. Drow v. Schwarz, 225 Wis. 2d 362, 592 N.W.2d 623 (1999), 97-1867.