October 13, 2026 – Washington Co., Wi – Discussions are underway in Washington County, WI, regarding whether a 5th Judicial Branch is needed. Currently the Washington County Circuit Court in West Bend is organized into four judicial branches and each is presided over by a circuit court judge. The presiding Judges are Ryan J. Hetzel, Grant D. Scaife, Michael S. Kenitz, and Sandra J. Giernoth.
The Circuit Judges are elected by the people of the circuit and hold office for a term of six years.
This week, the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council and the Washington County Board will be hearing about the topic of a 5th Judicial Branch.
On Tuesday, Oct. 13, at 7:30 a.m. the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council has a 5th Branch Discussion item. Documentation below is in the agenda packet.
On Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2026 at 6 p.m. the Washington County Board will hear an update from chairman Jeff Schleif regarding a meeting held October 5, 2026 where area stakeholders including judges, attorneys, law enforcement, court officials and elected officials discussed the addition of a 5th Judicial Branch.
According to Schleif, “Basically, the ask is for backing to add a 5th Branch to our courthouse. A judicial analysis is done about every 10 years, and our judges workloads 10 years ago were rated about 1.06 by the state office of court operations. That rating is now 1.26. We were informed that this represents a significant workload on each judge. While we have a potential 5th branch shell in our courthouse, the cost to finish it would be about $1 million. Also, there would be significant personnel costs involved (additions to the Clerk of Courts and District Attorneys offices, the jail staff, and Sheriff’s office), not to mention additional security needs. While we have supported a possible 5th Branch generally as a County Board, we will have to completely analyze the overall situation. Such a branch would not be active until August 1, 2029, but we will need to make a decision whether to support it, or not, in the next several months. Respectfully Submitted, Jeff Schleif, District 18 Supervisor County Board Chair.”
Below is data from a Wisconsin Judicial Needs Assessment Study | 2025 that was completed in April 2026 by The National Center for State Courts. The needed for more judges, according to the study, is because of a backlog of cases in the courts. Click HERE for the full report.
WisPolitics.com ran an article last week naming Washington County, Wi as one of 8 communities across the state that may be in line for an additional judicial branch over the next three years.
UPDATE:
Washington County Sheriff Martin Schulteis said a proposal to add a fifth Circuit Court branch in Washington County should be evaluated beyond the need for another judge, noting the additional demands it could place on county departments.
Schulteis said the Wisconsin Office of Court Operations completed a statewide study in 2025 that was released in 2026. The study is conducted every 10 years and examines the need for additional circuit court branches.
According to Schulteis, Washington County is among eight counties identified in the study as having a need for another court branch. However, the county ranks eighth on that list.
The state is proposing to add four court branches in 2028 and four more in 2029. Washington County is fourth among the counties being considered for the 2029 group, Schulteis said.
“Although on paper the need might be there, I’m just fearful that you’re only looking at one part of the equation, not the total equation,” Schulteis said.
His concern is that the study focuses on the judge and court reporter without fully accounting for the additional resources needed to operate another branch.
“There is much more to a circuit court operation than just the judge and the court reporter,” Schulteis said.
He said adding a court branch would affect several county departments, including the public defender’s office, district attorney’s office and Sheriff’s Office, which is responsible for courthouse security.
“It’s another branch to add security as well,” he said.
Schulteis acknowledged that the county has a limited window to pursue an additional branch but said the broader operational costs and staffing needs must be considered.
The Office of Court Operations is seeking a Washington County Board resolution supporting the proposal by February 2027, Schulteis said. That deadline could bring the issue before county officials for further discussion.
Schulteis said stakeholders, including himself, raised concerns about the proposal during discussions, emphasizing that the decision involves more than determining whether another judge is needed.
He did not dismiss the study’s findings but questioned whether they fully account for the county resources required to support another court branch.
What are your thoughts? Does Washington County need to add a 5th Judicial Branch?
On a side note:
It was March 5, 2020, when Gov. Evers added 12 new circuit court judgeships in Wisconsin. Click HERE to read the process.
