Columbia County
Columbia County was established in 1846 and named for Christopher Columbus. The county has a land area of 765.6 square miles and a population of over 58,000 residents. Its county seat is Portage City.
Columbia County's trial court system comprises a Circuit Court and three Municipal Courts. The Circuit Court is the county's highest trial court with jurisdiction over a wide range of cases. The court hears civil cases, including torts, contractual disputes, land matters, and monetary cases. It also handles misdemeanors and felony criminal cases as well as cases involving juveniles. Furthermore, the court's jurisdiction also covers family law matters such as divorce, child custody, domestic violence, and paternity cases. Probate cases, such as those relating to wills, trusts, administration of estates, and guardianships, are also within the court's jurisdiction. Meanwhile, Municipal Courts operate at the city level. They exercise jurisdiction over ordinance violations, traffic cases, and certain juvenile matters.
Columbia County public court records refer to official information about the adjudication of legal disputes in the county. Some examples of such records include parties' names, hearing dates, pleadings, legal arguments, and court orders. The Columbia County Clerk of Courts is responsible for maintaining records of cases handled by the Circuit Court, including civil records, criminal records, small claims records, probate records, family law records, and traffic records. Similarly, each municipal court organizes and maintains its case records.
Interested persons can request public records of the Circuit Court from the Columbia County Clerk of Courts in person or via mail at:
Columbia County Clerk of Court
400 Dewitt Street
P.O. Box 587
Portage WI 53901
Columbia County Circuit Court records may also be accessed online through the Wisconsin Circuit Court Access portal. Municipal Court records may be obtained at the courthouse where the case was heard. Records custodians typically require records seekers to provide information about the case file requested and pay applicable fees to obtain records.
