Manitowoc County will soon have four Circuit Court branches. Here's what to know.

Alisa M. Schafer, Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter
·3 min read

MANITOWOC - Anthony Lambrecht was recently elected as Manitowoc County's fourth Circuit Court judge, a branch that was recently created in Manitowoc County and will begin processing cases in August.

"The local court system is very overburdened, so this (newly created Branch 4) will definitely help out," Lambrecht said. "I'm excited for this opportunity."

In just the past month, 242 cases were opened in the Manitowoc County Circuit Court, according to Wisconsin Circuit Court Access. Of those, 23 cases were for felony charges, four were for misdemeanor charges, and the rest were various civil or other proceedings.

The new Circuit Court branch was announced in 2022 and Lambrecht announced his bid for judge soon after. He ran unopposed in the April election.

Lambrecht is joining Mark Rohrer, Robert Dewane and Jerilyn Dietz on the roster of county judges.

"I always thought I was somewhat unique in that in my previous professional employment, I worked for law enforcement for nearly six years ... I've seen many sides of the criminal justice system," he said.

Lambrecht said dealing with victims and making criminal arrests as a police officer gave him a different perspective on the criminal justice system. In addition to his time as a police officer and his current role as assistant district attorney for Manitowoc County, Lambrecht also worked as a staff attorney for the Manitowoc Office of the State Public Defender.

"I think it's really all prepared me for kind of a unique insight into the role of a judge," he said. "Of course, it's not all criminal law, but a majority of what the judges in Manitowoc County deal with involves criminal law. I think those roles have prepared me well."

Dewane, who presides over Branch 3, said having another branch will help "tremendously."

This space will become the office for the Circuit Court judge of Branch 4. Anthony Lambrecht was elected for that role in April and will be sworn into office in August.
This space will become the office for the Circuit Court judge of Branch 4. Anthony Lambrecht was elected for that role in April and will be sworn into office in August.

"Our criminal caseload, which for the last two, maybe three years, has been over a thousand cases through three branches," he said. "With a fourth branch, it kind of takes a lot of that pressure off."

Dewane said some cases may only take a few months to finish while others can take years. Each case is different, but scheduling issues shouldn't be a factor in delaying the hearings, he said.

Dietz agreed and said adding Branch 4 is a "recognition of how much Manitowoc County is growing, how much the needs in Manitowoc County are growing, and how much we are working above capacity."

An interior view of the Manitowoc County Courthouse dome as seen, Monday, February 20, 2023, in Manitowoc, Wis.
An interior view of the Manitowoc County Courthouse dome as seen, Monday, February 20, 2023, in Manitowoc, Wis.

With the new Circuit Court branch comes a new courtroom. After shuffling some offices to different locations, County Executive Bob Ziegelbauer said the basement of the courthouse ended up being the best fit for the new courtroom, jury room and adjoining offices for Lambrecht and his team.

The renovations began in spring 2022, according to Ziegelbauer, and will cost $1.7 million when all is said and done.

"It's a big change, of course," Ziegelbauer said of the courthouse renovations.

To find space for the new courtroom, jury room and adjoining offices, Ziegelbauer said the child support offices were moved to the first floor.

The area for the jury's seats is marked by a platform and half wall. A fourth branch of the Circuit Court was approved in Manitowoc County and will start taking on cases in August.
The area for the jury's seats is marked by a platform and half wall. A fourth branch of the Circuit Court was approved in Manitowoc County and will start taking on cases in August.

Dietz said the offices that have been renovated already for the child support department and the Register in Probate are incredible workspaces and expects nothing less for the new courtroom and office space.

The renovations come as a committee for the County Board continues to mull $30 million in renovations primarily to the dome of the building. No decisions have been made on that proposal.

The Branch 4 renovations are expected to be finished by July and the first session will be in August after Lambrecht is sworn in.

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Contact reporter Alisa Schafer at aschafer@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter: Manitowoc County adds fourth circuit court branch, judge Lambrecht