Title: Wisconsin. Circuit Court (Brown County): Records
Inclusive Dates: 1875-1880

Creator:

• Wisconsin. Second County Court (Brown County)

Call Number: Brown Series 67-Brown Series 71

Quantity: 3.8 cubic feet (6 volumes and 6 archives boxes)

Repository:

Housed at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay Archives and Area Research Center; owned by the Wisconsin Historical Society, Division of Library, Archives, and Museum Collections

Archival Locations:

UW-Green Bay Cofrin Library / Green Bay Area Research Ctr. (Map)

See the catalog entries for information on possible additional materials and shelf locations: Brown Series 67, Brown Series 68, Brown Series 69, Brown Series 70, Brown Series 71

Abstract:

Records of a second county court created for Brown County in 1875. Included are a court record, clerk's minutes, judgment books, court rules and orders, and civil case files.

Language: English

URL to cite for this finding aid: http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/wiarchives.uw-whs-brow0067

 ↑ Bookmark this ↑

 ↑ Bookmark this ↑

A second county court was created for Brown County in 1875, by an act of the state legislature (W.L. 1875, ch. 9). This special court was given much of the same jurisdiction as the county court and some of the same jurisdiction as the circuit court. For nearly all practical purposes the court was an additional circuit court. All rules and laws governing the practices and procedures of the circuit courts applied to this court. Although the court had some jurisdiction for criminal cases, apparently no criminal cases were tried there. In 1879 the legislature abolished the court (W.L. 1879, ch. 31; See also Wisconsin Historical Records Survey, County Government in Wisconsin, II, 347). Its records then became part of the records of the Circuit Court.

During its short existence, the second county court created a set of records which are very much like those of the circuit court. Five series are described in this inventory: the court record, clerk's minutes, judgment books, court rules and orders, and civil case files.

The COURT RECORD, 1875-1879 (BROWN SERIES 67), is also referred to as a record of causes, or the court docket. Each page in this volume has a summary of a single case, showing the title of the cause (plaintiffs and defendants); attorneys; costs; and a record of various papers filed, orders and judgments issued, pleadings entered, hearings held, and other actions taken. Some entries also include the judgment number which serves as a cross reference to the judgment books and the case files and cross references to the order books and sometimes to the circuit court judgment dockets. The volume includes a plaintiff and defendant index. The CLERK'S MINUTES, 1875-1878 (BROWN SERIES 68), are a daily account of proceedings before the court. They include the title of the cause, actions taken in court, and a summary of trial proceedings. This volume is incomplete, with many dates missing. Not everything recorded in the court record is in the minutes, nor is everything in the minutes in the court record.

The JUDGMENT BOOKS, 1875-1880 (BROWN SERIES 69), include a judgment docket and a judgment book. The docket contains brief summaries of judgments rendered, with judgment number, names of the parties to the suit, attorneys, date judgment was entered, amount of judgement, return of execution, and satisfaction. The judgment book has the full text of the judgment. Each volume has its own index to plaintiffs and defendants. COURT RULES AND ORDERS, 1876-1878 (BROWN SERIES 70), have complete transcripts of the orders issued by the court, including the title of the cause and the text of the order. The series consists of two volumes, one an index to the other. The CIVIL CASE FILES, 1875-1880 (BROWN SERIES 71), consist of documents relating to the individual cases, including complaints, responses, motions, briefs, appeals, affidavits, depositions, summonses, court orders, judgments, and other papers. Each of the boxes in this series contains the records which were maintained by the court in an original file box. The index to the cases (BROWN SERIES 72) refers to this file box number. The majority of the cases also have a judgment number, between 1 and 187, which provides access to the cases through the index to the judgment books. The cases are arranged by file box number and thereunder in two parts: first, those with judgment numbers, in numerical order, followed by those without numbers, in chronological order.

Acquisition Information

Accession Number: C1974/29, C1974/239, C1974/45, C1974/47, C1974/161

Processing Information

Processed by Max J. Evans, August 5, 1977.