Monroe County
Established in 1854, Monroe County was named in honor of James Monroe, one of the founding fathers of the United States. The county has a land area of 900.9 square miles and a population of over 46,000 residents. Its government seat and largest city is Sparta.
Monroe County's trial court system consists of a Circuit Court and three municipal courts. The Monroe County Circuit Court has original jurisdiction over legal disputes arising in the county. The court's civil jurisdiction covers a wide range of claims, including monetary claims, torts, contractual disputes, and land matters. It also handles felonies, misdemeanors, and juvenile criminal cases. Other matters within the jurisdiction of the Circuit Court include traffic, probate, and family law cases. Meanwhile, the municipal courts have jurisdiction over ordinance violations and traffic matters that occur at the municipal level. The municipal courts in Monroe County are located in Sparta, Tomah, and Norwalk.
Monroe County public court records are official documents relating to the adjudication of disputes in the county, including case indexes, dockets, warrants, petitions, court orders and judgments, exhibits, and pleadings. The Monroe County Clerk of Courts, along with the clerks of the municipal courts, is responsible for filing and maintaining these records. These clerks also provide public access to a variety of case files, such as:
- Civil records
- Probate records
- Family law records
- Small claims records
- Felony records
- Misdemeanor records
- Traffic records
Monroe County Circuit Court records are available online on the Wisconsin Circuit Court Access portal. Interested persons may request physical copies of the records from the office of the Monroe County Clerk of Courts located at:
Monroe County Justice Center
112 South Court Street, Room 2200
Sparta, WI 54656
Fax: (608) 269-8781
Phone: (608) 269-8735
The clerk's office accepts requests for court records via phone, mail, fax, or in person. However, requesters are required to provide information identifying the case file, such as the names of the parties and case numbers.
For municipal court records, requesters may contact the clerk's office at the courthouse where the case was heard.
