WISCONSIN BLUE BOOK 1987-1988


    Judicial power, where vested. SECTION 2. [As amended
 April 1966] The judicial power of this state, both as to mat-
 ters of law and equity, shall be vested in a supreme court,
 circuit courts, and courts of probate. The legislature may
 also vest such jurisdiction as shall be deemed necessary in
 municipal courts, and may authorize the establishment of
 inferior courts in the several counties, cities, villages or
 towns, with limited civil and criminal jurisdiction. Provided,
 that the jurisdiction which may be vested in municipal
 courts shall not exceed in their respective municipalities that
 of circuit courts in their respective circuits as prescribed in
 this constitution; and that the legislature shall provide as
 well for the election of judges of the municipal courts as of
 the judges of inferior courts, by the qualified electors of the
 respective jurisdictions. The term of office of the judges of
 the said municipal and inferior courts shall not be longer
than that of the judges of the circuit courts. [1963 SJR-32;
1965 SJR-26]


    Judicial power, where vested. SECTION 2. [Originalform]
 The judicial power of this state, both as to matters of law
 and equity, shall be vested in a supreme court, circuit courts,
 courts of probate, and in justices of the peace. The legisla-
 ture may also vest such jurisdiction as shall be deemed nec-
 essary in municipal courts, and shall have power to establish
 inferior courts in the several counties, with limited civil and
 criminal jurisdiction. Provided, that the jurisdiction which
 may be vested in municipal courts shall not exceed in their
 respective municipalities that of circuit courts in their re-
 spective circuits as prescribed in this constitution; and that
 the legislature shall provide as well for the election ofjudges
 of the municipal courts as of the judges of inferior courts, by
 the qualified electors of the respective jurisdictions. The
 term of office of thejudges of the said municipal and inferior
courts shall not be longer than that of the judges of the cir-
cuit courts.


     Supreme court: jurisdiction. SECTION 3. [As amended April 1977] (1)
The supreme court shall
 have superintending and administrative authority over all courts.
     (2) The supreme court has appellate jurisdiction over all courts and
may hear original ac-
 tions and proceedings. The supreme court may issue all writs necessary in
aid of its jurisdiction.
     (3) The supreme court may review judgments and orders of the court of
appeals, may re-
move cases from the court of appeals and may accept cases on certification
by the court of
appeals. [1975 AJR-11; 1977 SJR-9]
    Supreme court, jurisdiction. SECTION 3. [Originalform]  The supreme court
shall have a general superintending con-
The supreme court, except in cases otherwise provided in  trol over all inferior
courts; it shall have power to issue writs
this constitution, shall have appellate jurisdiction only,  of habeas corpus,
mandamus, injunction, quo warranto,
which shall be coextensive with the state; but in no case re- certiorari,
and other original and remedial writs, and to hear
moved to the supreme court shall a trial by jury be allowed,  and determine
the same.
     Supreme court: election, chief justice, court system administration.
SECTION 4. [As amended April
1977] (1) The supreme court shall have 7 members who shall be known as justices
of the supreme
court. Justices shall be elected for 10-year terms of office commencing with
the August 1 next
succeeding the election. Only one justice may be elected in any year. Any
4 justices shall consti-
tute a quorum for the conduct of the court's business.
     (2) The justice having been longest a continuous member of said court,
or in case 2 or more
such justices shall have served for the same length of time, the justice
whose term first expires,
shall be the chief justice. The justice so designated as chief justice may,
irrevocably, decline to
serve as chief justice or resign as chief justice but continue to serve as
a justice of the supreme
court.
     (3) The chief justice of the supreme court shall be the administrative
head of the judicial
system and shall exercise this administrative authority pursuant to procedures
adopted by the
supreme court. The chief justice may assign any judge of a court of record
to aid in the proper
disposition of judicial business in any court of record except the supreme
court. [1975 AJR-11; 1977
SJR-9]


    Supreme court justices; term; election; quorum. SEC-
 TION 1 [4]. [As amended April 1903] The chief justice and
 associate justices of the supreme court shall be severally
 known as the justices of said court, with the same terms of
 office of ten years respectively as now provided. The
 supreme court shall consist of seven justices, any four of
 whom shall be a quorum, to be elected as now provided, not
 more than one each year. The justice having been longest a
 continuous member of said court, or in case two or more
 such senior justices shall have served for the same length of
 time, then the one whose commission first expires shall be ex
 officio, the chief justice. [1901 AJR-33; 1903 AJR-5; 1903
 c. 10]
   Supreme court, how constituted.  SEcrION 1 [4]. [As
amended April 1889] The chief justice and associate justices
of the supreme court shall be severally known as justices of
said court with the same terms of office, respectively, as now
provided. The supreme court shall consist of five justices
(any three of whom shall be a quorum), to be elected as now
provided. The justice having been longest a continuous


member of the court (or in case two or more of such senior
justices having served for the same length of time, then the
one whose commission first expires), shall be ex officio the
chief justice. [1887 SJR-19; 1889 AJR-7; 1889 c. 22]
    Supreme court, how constituted.    SECTION 4. [As
 amended November 1877] The supreme court shall consist of
 one chief justice and four associate justices, to be elected by
 the qualified electors of the state. The legislature shall at its
 first session after the adoption of this amendment provide by
 law for the election of two associate justices of said court to
 hold their offices respectively for terms ending two and four
 years respectively after the end of the term of the justice of
 the said court, then last to expire. And thereafter the chief
 justice and associate justices of the said court shall be elected
 and hold their offices respectively for the term of ten years.
 [1876 SJR-16; 1877 SJR-2; 1877 c. 48]
    Supreme court, how constituted. SECTION 4. [Original
form] For the term of five years, and thereafter until the
legislature shall otherwise provide, the judges of the several
circuit courts, shall be judges of the supreme court, four of


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