This week’s Inside Track from the Wisconsin State Bar features a very interesting interview with Judge Randy Koschnick, Director of Wisconsin State Courts about how the state’s courts are responding to the Wisconsin Supreme Court order to suspended most in-person proceedings through at least April 30th – with some exceptions – and to instead conduct proceedings remotely.
All of the state’s 249 circuit court branches now have Zoom videoconferencing accounts, and the court system has also launched livestreaming of court proceedings through YouTube channels. A “live stream courts” tab is on the Wisconsin Court System website, with links to each branch’s YouTube channel.
Judge Koschnick offers this advice for attorneys on appearing remotely:
- Do a test run with Zoom before your court appearance. The most common problems so far have been with poor quality audio and video due to inadequate Internet connections.
- Think about your background, lighting, and attire. Proper decorum is still required even though appearing remotely.
- Be patient.
- Start getting things back on the court’s calendar now because there will be a big backlog later as courts must accommodate newly filed cases as well as those that had been continued.