Sawyer County Circuit Court, Wisconsin Sealing & Redaction Procedures

Medical and hospital records filed with the court remain confidential or marked as exhibits until admitted at trial, and only parties and counsel of record may view them before then.

202.05 MEDICAL AND HOSPITAL RECORDS -Medical and hospital records remain confidential or marked as an exhibit when filed with the court until such time as they are introduced into evidence at a trial. Until then, only parties to the action and attorneys of record may view medical and hospital records.

When an individual requests access to a court record containing confidential information, court staff must verify party status, grant access to the entire file if permitted, and remove records the party is not allowed to see.

202.01 GENERALLY - In general, when an individual requests access to a court record that includes confidential information, the Clerk of Court's office or the Registrar in Probate/Juvenile Court Clerk will ask for identification to verify that the individual is a party to the action. If so, and if a party is allowed access to the confidential records in his or her file, access to the entire file will be granted. If the party is not allowed access to some or all of the confidential records in the file, the confidential records the party is not allowed to see will be removed from the file before the party is allowed access.

Only parties and counsel of record may view or copy financial declarations and other confidential financial information in divorce actions.

202.04 FINANCIAL RECORDS IN DIVORCE ACTIONS -Only parties to the action and attorneys of record will be allowed to view and copy financial declarations and other confidential financial information in divorce actions.

Before adjudication, paternity records must remain confidential except to the parties or their authorized representatives, counsel of record, and the adult children who were the proceeding's subjects.

202.06 PATERNITY RECORDS -Pursuant to Wis. Stats. §767.53, all paternity records, before adjudication, are to remain confidential except to the parties to the proceeding or their authorized representative, attorneys of record, and adult children who were the subject of the proceeding.

People who are neither counsel of record nor parties may access only the non-confidential portions of a case.

Anyone other than an attorney of record or party to the action will be allowed access only to the non-confidential portions of a case.

In Chapter 51 proceedings, psychological records are confidential except to the individual's attorney, guardian ad litem, and Sawyer County's prosecuting attorney.

202.08 PSYCHOLOGICAL RECORDS -In Chapter 51 proceedings, all psychological records are confidential except to the individual's attorney, the guardian ad litem and the attorney who is prosecuting the action for Sawyer County.

Counsel of record may view a custody study but may not copy it or disclose the source of confidential information without a written court order.

202.02 CUSTODY INVESTIGATIONS -Attorneys of record may view a custody study but may not copy it nor disclose the source of confidential information without written court order.

Presentence investigation reports are confidential; represented defendants' counsel may keep a copy, unrepresented defendants may view but not keep a copy, and recipients must keep the report information confidential.

202.07 PRESENTENCE INVESTIGATIONS (PSI) -Pursuant to Wis. Stats. §972.15(4m), presentence investigations are confidential. The district attorney and the defendant's attorney are entitled to have and keep a copy of the presentence investigation report. If the defendant is not represented by counsel, the defendant is entitled to view the presentence investigation report but may not keep a copy. A district attorney or defendant's attorney who receives a copy of the report shall keep it confidential. A defendant who views the contents of a presentence investigation report shall keep the information in the report confidential.

A party may view a custody study without a written order but may not copy or disclose its information except to counsel.

Parties to the action may view a custody study without a written order. However, a party may not copy or disclose such information, except to their counsel.

In divorce proceedings, psychological records are confidential except to counsel of record and the parties.

In divorce proceedings, all psychological records are confidential except to the attorneys of record and the parties to the action.

Expunged criminal case files are closed to access without a court order, and the clerk must take steps to protect the records' confidentiality.

202.03 EXPUNGED CRIMINAL RECORDS -Any case in which a criminal record has been expunged shall be closed to access to anyone without a court order authorizing access to the file. The Clerk of Courts shall take appropriate steps to ensure confidentiality of all expunged criminal records.

Confidential records must be removed from a file requested by an attorney unless that attorney is counsel of record in the case.

When an attorney seeks access to a file containing confidential records, the confidential records will be removed from the file unless the attorney is an attorney of record in that particular case.