WISCONSIN BLUE BOOK


called statutory or inferior courts are based on special acts which
deal with each of them independently.
   Organizationally, the justice court is the lowest court in the
hierarchy and the only one presided over by a person not necesssarily
trained in the law. In many areas the justice court has been virtu-
ally abandoned.
   Above the justice court are a group of courts created by statute,
among which is the municipal court. These courts have special jur-
isdiction determined by the statute creating them. Many county
courts have been given civil and criminal jurisdiction by the same
sort of laws. Among these special courts is the juvenile court which
handles the cases of youngsters under special procedures.
   Next in line is the circuit court, so-called because most of them
include more than one county and the judges hold court in each in
turn. They are the principal trial courts of the state with both civil
and criminal jurisdiction of unlimited amount.
   The top court of the state is the supreme court composed of 7
justices elected for terms of 10 years each. Most of their work con-
sists of appeals from the lower courts.
   Each county has a county court which deals in probate matters
of the settlement of estates. In many counties the county judge is
also the juvenile judge although this task may be assigned to a vari-
ety of courts.
  All judges in Wisconsin are elected on a nonpartisan ballot at the
spring election. Their terms vary from 2 years for justices of the
peace to 10 years for supreme court justices. Except among the
justices of peace, the sitting judge is generally reelected.
  Each session of the legislature a substantial number of bills are
introduced creating new courts and changing the jurisdiction of ex-
isting courts. For some years there has been a movement to review
the organization of the courts, but to this time an acceptable plan has
not been agreed upon.

                 Wisconsin Government in General
  Not only is Wisconsin state government considered free from graft
and corruption and conducted by people with a high degree of in-
tegrity and dedication to their work, but over the years this govern-
ment has developed a reputation for advanced practices. Wisconsin
has initiated many important functions in government. The direct
primary election, the income tax, workmen's compensation, unem-
ployment compensation, vocational education are but a few examples
of ideas which originated in this state. The development of the mul-
timember commission to direct the work of certain agencies of the
state, modern budgeting practices, staggered automobile license
plates, the highway marking system and many other procedures for
gaining greater efficiency in government were initiated here. In the
legislative process, the voting machine, public hearings, biennial sta-


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