Milwaukee County Circuit Court services to relocate during the RNC

By Alexandria Staubach

Time-sensitive functions of the Milwaukee County Circuit Court are moving to children’s court in the Vel R. Phillips Juvenile Justice Center during the Republican National Convention (RNC).

“The courthouse is already difficult to get to” said Chief Judge Carl Ashley in an interview with WJI. He anticipates that security checkpoints, crowds, and the unavailability of parking will dramatically intensify with the 50,000 people expected to participate in RNC activities.

WJI talked with Ashley and Chief Court Administrator Stephanie Garbo about the court’s plans during the convention, which runs July 15 through July 18 in downtown Milwaukee.

Garbo is helping to orchestrate the move to children’s court, which is located west of I-41 at 10201 W. Watertown Plank Rd.

Garbo, like other Milwaukee-area officials, is organizing essential functions in and around the security footprint of the RNC without a complete picture of the U.S. Secret Service’s plans for the area. Garbo said a full outline of anticipated changes to court operations is yet to be announced but is expected in the coming weeks.

Some of the changes Garbo anticipates include:

• No jury trials during the week of the RNC. In December 2023, judges were instructed to organize their dockets to avoid trials during the convention week.
• Courts will remain open through children’s court, and some services will be available in person there.
• Some judges will conduct proceedings virtually during the convention week, while others have scheduled vacations then.
• Time-sensitive functions of the court, such as temporary restraining orders, will be available at children’s court from July 15 to 19.
• In-custody intake will occur virtually through children’s court beginning the weekend before July 15.
• One or more judges will remain on call in both the criminal and civil divisions.

The Milwaukee County Jail will remain accessible to visitors and attorneys, but visitors will likely have to pass through intensified security to get to the building.

As court plans remain in flux, Garbo encouraged anyone with court business the week of the convention to monitor Milwaukee County’s convention website, which will contain the most up-to-date information as the convention approaches.

At a press conference in February, Mayor Cavalier Johnson also announced a city convention website, but as of today, both websites largely contain placeholders for plans that are still being developed and encourage the public to check back soon.

The courts are not the only county functions likely to experience reorganization during the RNC. The county anticipates changes to several bus routes that ordinarily penetrate the RNC’s security zone. Currently, the county website for the RNC informs riders that “the security plan for the 2024 RNC is still in development – as soon as its finalized, riders will be alerted to impacts on bus routes” and “changes to the RNC’s security perimeter may happen on short notice.” 

Milwaukee County Courthouse. Photographs by Alexandria Staubach.